Oldham Coliseum Theatre has announced that it could close next month after suffering a £1.8m funding cut over three years from Arts Council England (ACE).
The charity previously said that it would be cancelling its upcoming events from 26 March onwards as “the current financial situation is not sustainable for the season as planned”.
Today, it revealed that after entering a consultation period with staff that will last at least 30 days and “working hard to find a solution” the theatre could permanently close from 31 March.
This comes as ACE told Civil Society News that Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s application was assessed as high risk and did not make a strong case for good investment of public funds.
Proposed closure
In a statement, the charity said: “Following the news on 4 November 2022 that Oldham Coliseum will no longer be part of ACE’s National Portfolio from 1 April 2023, the board of trustees and senior leadership team have been working hard to find a solution to this reduction in funding. However, the current financial situation is not sustainable for the running of a full-time theatre.
“It’s with great regret therefore that we announce that we have entered into a consultation period with all staff and it is proposed that Oldham Coliseum Theatre will close its doors on Friday 31 March 2023.”
Oldham Coliseum Theatre said that it will be working with ACE and Oldham Council to “ensure a smooth transition period for the company, including funding” to support its staff and honour agreements with artists.
It added: “The Coliseum has been at the heart of theatre in Oldham for over 100 years, with a highly regarded history in the industry dating back to the Oldham Rep which launched the careers of many famous faces. Many of the Coliseum’s staff have lived in Oldham all their lives and worked with the company for over a decade. They are the priority for the company at this time.”
ACE: ‘We remain committed to Oldham’
A spokesperson for ACE said: “Oldham Coliseum has begun the required consultation with its staff about future options, following their decision at the end of January to cancel forthcoming events. We understand this must be a very difficult time and are working to support the company’s board and management who are leading this process. Alongside our current funding, which continues until the end of March, we recently agreed transition support of £358,856 to help give the company time and space to make decisions about its future.
“ACE remains committed to Oldham and we’ll be investing £1.8m in the town so that people don’t miss out on amazing creative activities. We’re working closely with Oldham Council on how this significant investment should be used to support the future of performing arts in Oldham and we are fully behind plans for a performing space for the town.”
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