Britain’s largest theatre operator Live Nation has expressed concerns over the closure of the Tameside Hippodrome in Greater Manchester, following the local authority’s inability to secure a new management company for the venue. The Ashton-under-Lyne-based theatre was operated by Live Nation from 1992 until its contract expired in September 2007. While the theatre operator decided not to renew its contract, it agreed to continue running the venue through to March 31, as an interim measure to help the borough council. Despite the additional time, the venue is still set to go dark.A Live Nation spokesman said: “We’re very disappointed to hear that to date Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has failed to find a replacement management company to run their local theatre and has therefore decided to close the venue from April 1 until a long term view is known.”The company’s divisional manager Peter Evans insisted that he could not disclose why the contract was not renewed because the council was in the middle of a tender process. He said Live Nation had no general strategy to terminate contracts with other regional theatres in its UK portfolio.Evans added that Live Nation would try to deploy its 15 permanent and 30 temporary employees to other venues run by the company in the region - including the Palace, Opera House and Apollo theatres - but said a redundancy process would also be put in place.According to Evans, the local authority plans to refurbish the venue when it goes dark, although it has not confirmed whether it would close the Hippodrome for good. Council representatives were unavailable for comment, but are reported to have said the closure was being undertaken to ascertain the structural condition of the building. Meanwhile, an online petition campaigning to protect the 104-year-old venue has been signed by more than 1,000 people. Launched by Save Tameside Hippodrome Theatre, a 2,550 strong group on social networking site Facebook, the petition has labelled the actions of the local authority as a “disgrace”.
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Tameside Hippodrome to go dark until management secured
Britain’s largest theatre operator Live Nation has expressed concerns over the closure of the Tameside Hippodrome in Greater Manchester, following the local authority’s inability to secure a new management company for the venue. The Ashton-under-Lyne-based theatre was operated by Live Nation from 1992 until its contract expired in September 2007. While the theatre operator decided not to renew its contract, it agreed to continue running the venue through to March 31, as an interim measure to help the borough council. Despite the additional time, the venue is still set to go dark.A Live Nation spokesman said: “We’re very disappointed to hear that to date Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has failed to find a replacement management company to run their local theatre and has therefore decided to close the venue from April 1 until a long term view is known.”The company’s divisional manager Peter Evans insisted that he could not disclose why the contract was not renewed because the council was in the middle of a tender process. He said Live Nation had no general strategy to terminate contracts with other regional theatres in its UK portfolio.Evans added that Live Nation would try to deploy its 15 permanent and 30 temporary employees to other venues run by the company in the region - including the Palace, Opera House and Apollo theatres - but said a redundancy process would also be put in place.According to Evans, the local authority plans to refurbish the venue when it goes dark, although it has not confirmed whether it would close the Hippodrome for good. Council representatives were unavailable for comment, but are reported to have said the closure was being undertaken to ascertain the structural condition of the building. Meanwhile, an online petition campaigning to protect the 104-year-old venue has been signed by more than 1,000 people. Launched by Save Tameside Hippodrome Theatre, a 2,550 strong group on social networking site Facebook, the petition has labelled the actions of the local authority as a “disgrace”.
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4 comments:
THATS SHOW BUSINESS.
there is no business like shoha business
Special event this Tuesday 5th Feb Ashton Market ground. They are arranging a special race with pancakes and are looking for people to take part -you must be able to toss the pancakes whilst running.
I know we have some locals who will be good at this - get down there you tossers with nothing else to do and help raise some much needed cash for our local charities.
Front page news in the Sunday People will surly test the bnp ukip Tory alliance we have in Tameside, thats if he's guilty of course.
I understand the Greens are looking some of their cosy little agreements, you dont stand on my ward and we wont stand in yours - yes they're all at it, let me remind you that Labour will be standing in every ward and we will campaign in every ward, and we will be in control of Tameside at the end of the campaign again.
ukip greens lib dems bnp will get nothing because they dont do any work and they have no policies for the people to vote for. I am against us being in Europe and would pull out today - we did not vote or in my case vote against what we have now, but none of the anti Europe parties would ever appeal to me, one's racist and fascist and the other a single issue party.
bnp kicked out of Dukinfield pub NOT WELCOME.
I would suspect the nice cosy alliance we have had will now be suspended for a while with the bnp and ukip until the outcome of Mr Kidds allegations are dealt with - remember he is innocent until proven guilty.
W O W guess who will be back shortly with a new photo just in .
Yes we have a new photo. See it here soon see the real party girl
bnp split continues and its getting bigger.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/28444/B-N-P-split-as-rebels-hit-out/
Facist and racist campaign update 194,000 leaflets already posted in Dukinfield £15,000 spent on campaign thats more than the the Tories and Labour spend and deliver in the whole of Tamside during any election.
Stacey Knighton has done a post about this on her blog.
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