STATEMENT BY DUMFRIES THEATRE ROYAL TRUST
FROM FRANK RYAN (PRESS OFFICER)

We are, of course, extremely disappointed that Dumfries and Galloway Council's planning and environment services committee has rejected our planning application for the partial demolition, alterations and extension of the theatre.

The development would have provided Dumfries with a vibrant, accessible venue for quality, live performing arts and educational activities and would have been an integral part of the town-centre regeneration.

Today's decision not only denies this much needed facility to the townspeople - something enjoyed by every Scottish town the size of Dumfries. It is also a lost opportunity to develop a tourist magnet.

The refusal means, too, that around £250,000 and five years of work already devoted to the project are lost.
A further potential further investment of around £5m has also gone by the board.

The trustees who have dedicated themselves tirelessly to providing a valuable asset feel frustrated at the outcome. In our view, supported by experts, the scheme we submitted was the only artisically viable, technically compliant and economically sustainable future for the theatre. At all stages, we did everything in our power to comply with the demands of the planners. We will now have to discuss what other options are now open to us.

The Guild of Players, the owners of the theatre who co-operated with the trust in the enterprise, are also in a dilemma. It is impossible for them to bring the 213-year-old building up to modern standards and they may now be forced to put it on the market for development. Yet another block of flats could be built on the site and a historic link with Robert Burns, J.M. Barrie and many famous names of the theatre would be gone forever.

Is this really what the people of Dumfries want?

DELIGHT AT COUNCIL'S DECISION - 27/07/2004

The Guild is delighted with the news that Dumfries and Galloway Council has agreed to grant £2.488 million for the Theatre rebuilding project. It is a very large commitment on their part and it shows that they have recognised the value of the Theatre to the local economy and to the regeneration of Dumfries Town Centre. We look forward to working with them.

Now that we have the Council money to match the £1.65 from the Lottery, we can now proceed to complete the funding package. The deadline for applying for European funds is mid September and the Planning application will also be lodged in the next few weeks. The second stage of the Lottery application is in October. That means a lot of work over the next 8 weeks. We should have all the answers in the Spring and, all being well, we hope to start building work in the late spring.

GUILD DISMAY AT THEATRE FUNDING RECOMMENDATION - 18th May 2004

The owners of Dumfries Theatre Royal, the Guild of Players. expressed dismay at the recommendation made by Council officials, not to help fund the Theatre's major renovation project.
Such a decision could have meant the loss of the £1.7 million lottery money, which has already been approved, for the project.

The recommendation was in a report which was considered by the Council's Education and Community Services Committee on 18th May.

"It's very worrying", said Master of the Guild of Players, Alan Ritson. "We set up the Theatre Royal Trust four years ago as a partnership between ourselves, the Council, the Arts Association, the Operatic Society, the Arts Festival and the University, to take forward this major project to renovate the Theatre. It's been a lot of hard work to get this far and we have been waiting already since January for the Council's decision about their contribution, so that we can then apply for European funds.

We hope that the Councillors will see fit to reconsider the matter when they realise that we would lose the Lottery money, and the potential European funding. This is Scotland's oldest working Theatre and it will almost certainly be forced to close its doors, if the project does not proceed. This will leave the town without a Theatre, a gap which the Council itself may have to provide to complete its Arts Strategy. We believe that Dumfries is the only regional town in Scotland that does not have a full-time professionally run theatre."

The Theatre Royal Trust is asking the Council for a capital contribution of £2.5 million over 3 years (to match funding from the Lottery, Europe and Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway), towards the total cost of £5.3 million. The project involves almost complete rebuilding of the 210 year Theatre, but incorporating the existing external façade, to create a full-time and fully staffed facility, with a 300 seat main auditorium, a 100 seat studio, plus recording studios, restaurant and bars. The Theatre will offer a full-time programme of theatre, music of all kinds, comedy, variety, opera and cabaret, as well as an outreach programme to rural and disadvantaged communities and a life long learning training and education programme.

The Lottery allocation was agreed by the Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund in January. They had originally asked for the figure be kept confidential , but the information has now been made public. The release of the funds is dependent on securing the remaining funding, planning permission and fully approved design.

COUNCILOVERTURNS NO FUNDING RECOMMENDATION

At the meeting, the Councillors overturned the recommendation not to fund the project and approved a revenue grant of £105,000 towards further development costs. This will allow the architects to start work immediately on the detailed plans and planning application. The question of the £2.5 million capital funding was remitted to the Corporate Policy committee, which will meet on 29th June.

Whilst this is good news, there is still no certainty that the capital money will be granted.

GOOD NEWS ON LOTTERY GRANT - Press Release - 05/02/04

"The Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund has approved a grant of £75,000 for development costs to enable the Dumfries Theatre Royal Trust to take the application for funding to renovate the Theatre to the second stage. This requires to be matched by £125,000 from Dumfries and Galloway Council. They have also ring fenced a significant sum of money towards the renovation, which is dependant on the successful completion of the second stage application. This involves: securing the remaining funding required to complete the £5.3 million project, completion of full architectural plans and securing planning permission. Once all this is complete and approved they will release the ring fenced sum of money. At this stage the Trust is not permitted to divulge the amount of this sum, but we can confirm that, whilst it is not the full amount of £2.3 million that we applied for, it is nonetheless a significant sum of money. The Trust will be considering this offer and discussing how they can proceed. The next few months will be critical for the project and involve a massive amount of work on the part of the Trust."

TRUST UPDATE - Updated 29/09/03

Dumfries Theatre Royal Trust has been working very hard over the last few months in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council Lottery Unit, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway and the South of Scotland European Partnership. This work culminates in the formal application to the Lottery on 3rd October 2003 and the European application, which went in on 18th September 2003. The Lottery response will be in January 2004.

A useful meeting with the Guild of Players was held on 24th September to discuss the proposals. Following advice from the Lottery last autumn, the outline proposals have had to be scaled down considerably. The new £5.5 million project includes a 300 seat auditorium, 100 seat studio/rehearsal space, bar and restaurant, media suite and recording studios, plus state of the art box office, technical, dressing room, storage, get-in and scenery dock facilities, with an additional 65 square metres dedicated to the Guild as their base.

LOTTERY DECISION ON HOLD - Updated 05/02/03

The decision on the Theatre Royal Trust's application to the Lottery for major funds to refurbish the Theatre has been put on hold. It had originally been hoped that a favourable decision, allowing the Trust to proceed to the full design stage of the project, would be received at the end of January.

The move has been suggested by the Scottish Arts Council Lottery staff, to allow them to work with the Trust over the next few months on additional information that will strengthen the case. This step has been taken by the Lottery Capital Committee, in recognition of the strong need for and strategic importance of a vibrant centre for performing arts in south west Scotland.

The decision comes in the context of the review of the Lottery, and the well publicised funding crisis in Scotlands major professional theatres.

The Trustees are positive about the development. Chairman Howard Hann said: "We have been given to understand that this is an unusual course of action for the Lottery people to take. It demonstrates the importance of our project. We look forward to working with them on the application. There is, naturally, some concern that the project may ultimately be a smaller one than we had envisaged, because of the financial climate, but we are hopeful about the prospects for theatre in Dumfries"

LATEST NEWS OF THE TRUST - Updated 07/12/02

"The Scottish Arts Council Lottery application for 60% of a project costing just under £7 million has gone in and is in the process of being assessed. They will make a decision on 7th January. If successful, this will allow the Trust to proceed to the design stage. This will not mean that the whole amount of money will have been approved.

Meantime, the Trustees have begun negotiating with other agencies who may contribute to the remaining 40% - Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway, South of Scotland European Partnership and Dumfries and Galloway Council. The Trust and the Guild of Players are also concluding the Heads of Agreement to lease the Theatre to the Trust when the building work starts.

The timetable at present shows that it is unlikely to begin until the start of 2004."

PRESS RELEASE
13th June 2002

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON FUTURE VISION OF THEATRE ROYAL

Dumfries Theatre Royal Trust is inviting the public to a presentation and discussion on the future vision of the 210 year old Theatre .

Over the past 6 months, the Trust has been working with a team of professional business consultants and architects on a feasibility study that will outline a radical future for the Theatre. Once competed, the proposals will be submitted to the Scottish Arts Council's Lottery Fund in October in a bid for major funding. Further applications will be made for funds from the Council, South of Scotland European Partnership, Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway, Trusts and a public appeal, to complete the package.

"In 1792, Robert Burns was one of many subscribers to a new up to date Theatre on the Shakespeare Street site," said Trust Chairman, Howard Hann. "Over the years, the Theatre has undergone several major extension and reconstruction projects, notably in 1876 and in 1960. Inevitably the changes will be much greater this time - the expectations of audiences are greater, and there is a huge range of different performing arts and entertainment on offer.

We are proposing a state of the art new auditorium, seating about 300 people, a new performing arts studio space, a media centre using modern technology for people working in the creative music industry and an education and training resource for the wider community to experiment and explore the creative potential of digital technology, and a restaurant which will definitely be 'the' place to eat in the town. One of our key aims is also to ensure that the interests of disabled people are fully integrated into the proposals. To do all this, there has to be radical change to the building. We will be making maximum use of the site to create a landmark building and full-time focal point for performing arts for South West Scotland."

The feasibility study has looked at the range of options for the capital expenditure to extend and refurbish the building, and has produced a business plan for running costs over the next few years. The options look at: alternative sites for the theatre; extension and refurbishment of the existing building; and complete redevelopment on the existing site.

"We cannot put figures to the proposals until the consultations are complete and details have been agreed," said Howard Hann. "What we do know is that similar recent reconstructions of other Scottish theatres, such as the Byre Theatre in St Andrews, the Eastgate Theatre in Peebles and the Tolbooth Theatre in Stirling have cost between £4 and £6 million.

Here in Dumfries and Galloway, we signpost the region as 'First in Scotland'. The reality in the Theatre world, is that Dumfries Theatre Royal is often bypassed, in favour of Carlisle and Glasgow venues. I believe that this project will make the Theatre Royal a destination of outstanding importance and enable us to live up to the 'First in Scotland' strapline. The Theatre Royal is a well-loved and valued place and I believe that Robert Burns, himself a radical, ground-breaking artist would, if he were alive today, have wanted to be involved in continuing the long tradition of theatre in a state of the art facility on this corner of Shakespeare Street."

1. The public presentation will be held at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 2nd July at the Theatre Royal. Press and media representatives are cordially invited to attend.
2. A press information pack , including drawings, will be issued early next week and will be e-mailed to interested parties.
3. For further information please contact the Trust's Press Officer, Carol Godridge on 01848 200681 or 0771 200897 (mobile).

28th January 2002

TEAM APPOINTED TO PLAN THEATRE ROYAL MAKEOVER

Dumfries Theatre Royal Trust has appointed a team of professionals to produce plans for the future of Scotland's oldest working theatre.

Last autumn the Trust secured funding from the Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund, Dumfries and Galloway Council and Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway to carry out a comprehensive feasibility study and to produce plans for an extended and refurbished theatre that will operate as a vibrant full-time performing arts venue for the south-west.

The appointed lead architects are internationally based firm RMJM. Director of the project is Paul Stallan. "We're absolutely over the moon about this contract," he said. "We are really interested in working in theatres and we hope to build on our recent experience with the Tron Theatre in Glasgow. I hope that we can produce a building that will be accessible for the local community ands popular with everyone."

Glasgow based Scottish Cultural Enterprises have been appointed as business consultants to carry out the community consultation and produce a viable plan for the future operation of the theatre. Consultant Matthew Rooke said " We're excited by this. So often projects can have huge potential, but be so large that the vision has to be adapted. The Theatre Royal is of a size where I think we can deliver a real plan that will make it not only the oldest working theatre in Scotland, but the best one too. "

The feasibility study team is completed by the appointment of Turner and Townsend as Quantity Surveyors.

The study will include plans to extend back into an additional property in Queen Street and sideways over the yard in front of the theatre in Shakespeare Street. The accompanying business plan will be produced after extensive consultation in the local community to show how the Theatre will offer performing arts of all kinds, and educational activities . The study will be in place by mid-summer and will then be used to apply to the Lottery and other agencies for building and operational costs for a project that could total over £3 million.

Dumfries Theatre Royal
Trust Newsletter
July 2001
Scottish Arts Council awards major funding towards Theatre Royal feasibility study

Dumfries Theatre Royal received verbal notice on Wednesday 4 July that the Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund has granted £30,000 towards its feasibility study fund. Writen confirmation will follow soon.

The grant completes the funding package required for the study. Earlier this year Dumfries and Galloway Council provided £20,000 towards the feasibility study. In addition Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway has agreed to fund the cost of a business advisor to assist the development of a business plan as part of the study

The study will allow the Trust to work with an architect and full design and development team to prepare architectural and business plans for the Theatre that will take into consideration the Guild's requirements. The team's work will assess the potential for a 300 seat main house, a studio and all ancillary facilities being accommodated within the 200-year-old theatre and its adjoining property. The resulting plans and proposals will then be used for a bid for Lottery funds to undertake the major work of renovating and extended the Theatre. The Trust hopes also to match any Lottery funds with money from the European Commission under its Objective 2 European Regional Development Fund for the South of Scotland. In addition local and national sponsors will be sought to contribute to the estimated £3.2 million project. The Trust's timetable anticipates work beginning in the Theatre in July 2003, with completion and hand over in January 2005. The Guild will need to make alternative arrangements for rehearsals, storage and performance during this period. The Trust is also aware of the Guild's needs for storage, rehearsal and set building facilities after the project is complete. Every effort will be made to assist in supporting these activities through the grant aid process. The initial application to the Scottish Arts Council Lottery indicates that there is a need for the provision of such facilities to be made as part of the project. However, there are no guarantees that funding bodies will give financial support to this particular element. The Trustees, therefore welcomes the formation by the Guild oa a sub- committee to plan its requirements and discuss possible cost implications between now and September when the lead architect for the feasibility study will be selected.

Trustees:
Guild of Players members will be aware that the Guild is represented on the Trust by its Master - Anne Aldridge, and its immediate past Master - Alan Ritson. Other Trustees are: Carol Godridge, Howard Hann, George McBumie, George McCall, Sir Neil McIntosh, Shirley McClymont, John Prince, lan Rennie, Julie Smith, Prof. Rex Taylor, and Jenny Wilson.