|
|
||
|
News
|
||
|
News |
Dateline: 25th January, 2004 Refurbishment at Loughborough The Loughborough Town Hall theatre and restaurants close to the public on Monday 26 January as work on the third and final phase of the venue's renovation programme begins. In the run up to the closure the venue has enjoyed its best ever winter ticket sales, with over 19,000 people attending 'Aladdin', the annual pantomime, an increase of 5% on last year's production. Paul Hogan, Head of Cultural and Leisure Services with Charnwood Borough Council, said, 'It's been a fantastic couple of months for the venue. It's a great way to finish the performance programme and now we can look forward to the implementation of the Phase III improvement scheme' The refurbishment scheme will be completed on the 15th November 2004. During the closure the performing arts programme takes to the road, touring to a range of venues within Charnwood. Tickets for these events will still be available from the Box Office, which, along with the Tourist Information Centre, will remain open throughout. From 2nd February onwards Town Hall catering staff will be running the cafe at the Charnwood Museum on Granby Street, Loughborough. Charnwood Borough Council has committed £2.7m capital funding to enable the venue's refurbishment plan to be implemented. This is the final stage of the refurbishment that started in 1998 with the improvements to the front of house areas, followed by a complete electrical rewire in spring 2003. The improvements include brand new theatre seating with more leg room and a new heating and ventilation system, including air conditioning in the auditorium. The Victoria Room will be fully equipped as a small performance space. There will be also be improved access throughout the building, new dressing rooms and major improvements to on stage and backstage facilities. New kitchens will allow the venue to improve its catering facilities and there will be new toilets on all floors. The Council chamber will also be refurbished to enable the Town Hall to be developed as a conference and meetings venue and for civic weddings. Paul Hogan, Head of Cultural and Leisure Services, said, 'The benefits of this final phase of the refurbishment are enormous. It will enable us to improve the quality and range of our performance programme, increase access to the arts, improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs and increase the income generation potential of the venue.' Councillor Jill Vincent, Lead Cabinet said, 'The Town Hall plays an essential role in the achievement of the Council's strategic aim of providing 'leisure and cultural opportunities for all'. The Phase III plans have been developed to bring the theatre and associated facilities up to the modern standards of a theatre appropriate for a local authority of the size of Charnwood. Once completed the Town Hall will be in a position to meet the expectations of its customers for the foreseeable future.' Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
|
|
|
|