 Gardner Centre to close |
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Thursday, December 14 2006 @ 11:47 AM GMT
Author: Fred. Views: 465
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The Gardner Arts Centre, on the campus of Sussex University in Falmer, is to close next year because of funding cuts.
Last month, Brighton and Hove City Council withdrew its annual �30,000 grant in favour of City-centre organisations such as Komedia and the Festival Fringe. This produced a domino effect: without money from the council, the Arts Council cannot fund the Centre, and they decided to stop the funding next July.
Ironically, just across the A27 is the site for the proposed Brighton and Hove Albion stadium. Falmer is close enough it seems for football fans, but too far from the City of Brighton and Hove for the arts.
Housed in a distinctive Grade II listed building designed by Sir Basil Spence, the Gardner Arts Centre was opened in 1969 as the first university campus arts centre. It has a 480-seat purpose-built theatre, a visual art gallery, studio space, bar and cafe. Perhaps best known for its dance productions, it has been a popular Sussex venue, easily accessible from Falmer station.
Deborah Grubb, chairwoman of the board, said that the building was leased from the University of Sussex and needed about �14 million of improvements as well as its running costs. Alasdair Smith, vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex, has said the university would try to preserve the listed building, but its future as an arts venue looks uncertain.
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However: how can you run a centre that size, with a captive audience on campus, and Brighton's cultural crowd on the doorstep, at such a loss?
Any arts organisation that relies so heavily on subsidy is always going to face an uncertain (possible even unsustainable) future. Time for the Gardner centre to rethink: maybe stronger programming would make up the shortfall in grants!
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Dan Thompson
RAG