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Hippodrome campaign group appeal direct to City Councillors

Campaigners call for Hippodrome planning application to be ‘called in’ by the Secretary of State.

Hippodrome Brighton

A campaign group created to save the Hippodrome in Middle Street as a live theatre venue is making a last ditch appeal to City Councillors to defer a decision on the future of the Hippodrome site for six months.

Councillors meet at Hove Town Hall tomorrow at 2pm to discuss a scheme submitted by Indigo Planning on behalf of Alaska Property Developments to develop the historic venue into an eight screen cinema with four restaurants.

Campaigners maintain that a viability report written for the developers by J Ashworth Associates is misleading whilst their own report highlighting the inconsistencies in the Ashwork document was withheld from the District Valuer because they are a pressure group.

The campaign group is headed up by cinema expert David Fisher, Theatres Trust architect trustee Tim Foster, Tony Jaffe, director of the Old Courtroom and has the support of artists and writers including Alan Ayckbourne, Judi Dench and Penelope Keith.

Brighton Hippodrome

The Hippodrome was designed in 1901 by the great theatre architect, Frank Matcham and is a unique performance space with a classic proscenium stage and also able to stage events in the round.

Campaigners maintain the venue if retained as a theatre could stage big West End musicals, ballet, dance and opera to thrust-stage, theatre-in-the-round and ’roundhouse’ productions like Cirque du Soleil which they claim would bring substancial economic benefits to the local economy.

Alaska Property Developers plan to demolish the stage and fly tower, all the back-stage space, the stalls and orchestral pit. Campaigners say the changes if allowed will be irreversible except at huge expense and one of the countries finest theatres will be lost forever.

In the new city plan Brighton & Hove CIty Council identifies the Hippodrome as part of the “existing cultural infrastructure” that should be “protected and enhanced..to contribute to the city’s unique tourism offer.”

David Fisher, a former editor of Screen Magazine and a Government advisor on cinema told a hastily called press conference on Monday, at the Old Courtroom, opposite the council subsidised Dome that the proposed restaurants in the Alaska application were not needed as there were 72 restaurants, 19 pubs and 13 cafe’s withing walking distance of the Hippodrome.

He pointed to the effect any new cinemas would have on Odeon Kingwest and Cineworld at Brighton Marina and highlighted how audiences to the cinema were reducing while attendances at live theatres is increasing.

David Blyth, Property Director of the Ambassador Theatre Group, owners of the Brighton Theatre Royal, wrote to the Head of Planning at Brighton & Hove City Council in March this year after reading the Viability Report prepared by Ashworth Associates.

He wrote: Contary to what is said in the report we have considered the full potential in respect of capacity, staging facilities, accommodation and flexibility offered by the Hippodrome and can confrim they would meet our needs. We acknowledge the essential upgrading that will be required after its prolonged period out of live theatre, but we believe that the critical requirements can be met.”

“It is also implied in the document that our ownership of the Theatre Royal would be compromised were we (or others) to take on the Hippodrome, This is not the case. The Theatre Royal, ideal for many productions, has significant limitations in its staging capabilities and is unable to receive the larger musicals. The greater capacity and stage of the Hippodrome would provide this. The two venues would run happily in harness.

“We also have to say that we are disappointed not to have been consulted directly by the Council, as to our interest, as soon as it was clear that the previous application was not going to be approved.

“We urge the Council to give serious consideration to and allow time for a proper exploration of ways and means to return the Hippodrome to live performance use.”

Campaigners are calling on supporters to lobby the members of the planning comittee directly before tomorrows meeting at Hove Town Hall.

Councillors on the planning committee are:

For more information about the campaign, CLICK HERE: 

MindOut for the laughs!

Comedienne, Zoe Lyons headlines the annual comedy extravaganza MindOut for the laughs! at the Komedia on Wednesday July 16.

MindOut for the laughs

She will be joined by the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, Dolly Rocket, Tom Allen, Debra Jane Appelby and the Two Wrongies.

Your compere for the evening is Cat Harding and the event will be BSL signed by Paul and Paula.

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Go along, take your friends and enjoy a fun-filled evening with MindOut! the LGBT mental health project.

What: MindOut for the laughs!

Where: Komedia, Gardiner Street, Brighton

When: Wednesday, July 16

Time: Door open 6.30pm for 7.30pm start

Tickets: £12/£10 concessions

To book tickets online, CLICK HERE: or telephone the box office on 0845 2938480

 

 

 

 

PRIDE PREVIEW: Brighton Pride Arts & Film Festival flagship exhibition ‘Freedom to live’

 

The Brighton Pride Arts & Film Festival flagship exhibition Freedom To Live will be the cultural highlight of this years two week Brighton Pride Festival.

Image: 'PUNK BETTE' by Boy George, Richard Duardo and Germizm
Image: ‘PUNK BETTE’ by Boy George, Richard Duardo and Germizm

Curated by Hizze Fletcher from Thirteen Art Productions, this unique exhibition will feature an eclectic mix of new work by fine artists from the LGBTQ community (and their supporters ) including Boy George, Sadie Lee, Kitty Finegan, Dave Pop, Billy Chainsaw, Michelle Mindenhall, Romany Mark Bruce and many more.

Reflecting on how lucky we are in the UK to have the freedom to be who we are, Freedom To Live will be a strong visual voice for those in countries less fortunate than ourselves, standing beside those communities tied down and held back by injustice.

Boy George and his marketing director, Bob Fierro, have donated one of the original screenprints of “PUNK BETTE” by Boy George, Richard Duardo and Germizm to the Freedom to Live Exhibition which will launch Brighton Pride’s Arts & Film Festival with a private view on Thursday July 17 at Jubilee Library.

The artwork will be auctioned at the event hosted by Dolly Rocket and will be on display for the duration of the exhibition.

Profits from the event itself will be donated to Pride and their charity The Rainbow Fund.

For an invite EMAIL:

What: Freedom to Live Exhibition

Where: Jubilee Library, Jubilee Square, Brighton

When: July 18 – August 3, 2014

Time: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 10am-7pm, Wednesday, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm

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