Oldham Coliseum to play ‘key role’ in future culture provision

Oldham Coliseum theatre company will be the anchor tenant for a proposed new theatre in Oldham and is set to play a “key role” in the delivery of an arts and culture programme in the town over the next three years.

A statement released by the Coliseum’s board yesterday (16 May) said the plans have been confirmed following “extensive discussions” with Oldham Council.

It added Oldham Council has submitted a proposal to Arts Council England (ACE) for how £1.845m ringfenced for culture provision in the town over the next three years will be spent and is awaiting a decision.

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Duncan Craig, chair of the board appointed to oversee the closure of the theatre building following the theatre’s loss of its Arts Council England (ACE) funding, described the news as “exciting”.

He said that while staff redundancies remain ongoing, recent developments means it is the “right time” to expand the Coliseum’s current board of six members, adding the board is looking to recruit people “from the array of diverse communities in Oldham as we want a truly representative board”.

“Watch this space (I think it’s pretty damn exciting as there’s so many opportunities!)” he added.

Meanwhile, an update on two independent reports commissioned last month into the Coliseum’s former building and the governance, performance and decisions made by the general and wider leadership of the theatre was also provided.

The two reports are expected to be published, independently of Oldham Coliseum Theatre, ACE and Oldham Council, in June or July.

The interim future

According to Craig’s update, the Coliseum is set to lead on delivery of the town's cultural programme for the period up to 2026, after the board worked closely with the council to help develop proposals to ACE.

“Once the funding is confirmed we’re pretty sure that many discussions will be had and we’ll be part of those discussions with other key stakeholders, and when we know then we’ll announce what part we will play in that offer,” he added.

Meanwhile, Craig has taken a seat on the Performance Space Partnership Board, which is responsible for overseeing the design and delivery of Oldham Council’s new theatre.

Oldham Council will also have a presence on the partnership board.

The council re-committed to building a new theatre after the Coliseum announced its closure. The council has said it will be funding the construction of the project, after investigations uncovered a funding shortfall.

Plans for the theatre are yet to be submitted, but Chair of the theatre development board Emma Barton said the build is “on target to be open by 2026”.

Barton added the new theatre will “give certainty to the future of performing arts in the town and building on our theatrical legacy, along with activities and performance to build and maintain audiences between now and then”.