20 October 2010
A council decision to transfer its control of the town’s Royal Hippodrome Theatre to an independent trust has been welcomed by campaigners.
It is hoped the planned transfer to trust will pave the way for the historic theatre to become a leading arts and media centre and to act as a focal point for the regeneration of the area.
Members of the council’s Cabinet this week voted in favour of officers working with the Trust to reach an agreement on transferring the running of the theatre to the Royal Hippodrome Theatre Trust. Cabinet agreed that this will be in various stages with decreasing financial support from the council, offering the Trust full and independent governance of the theatre by April 2014.
Cllr David Tutt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said: “This decision marks the beginning of a very exciting future for the Royal Hippodrome Theatre and really sets out how working in partnership can create a successful community arts hub in the future.
“The council remains very committed to making sure the Trust is successful in realising its ambitions, which is why the proposed transfer of control will be phased. We look forward to working closely with the Trust to ensure the Hippodrome continues to be a key part of the cultural offer in Eastbourne.”
Since 2006, the Royal Project, now a community based charitable trust, has been working towards creating a long-term vision for the theatre and hopes to draw down funding to bring it into greater community use.
Brian Jones, Chairman of the Royal Project, said: “We welcome the decision by the council to work toward a transfer of control to the Theatre Trust. As a charity we can attract different levels of subsidy and we will work to ensure the venue is widely used by the creative communities of Eastbourne.
“We look forward to working with the Council and our supporters to develop a viable business plan and fundraising strategy to help this happen. Clearly we face great challenges ahead in securing the money needed to regenerate the theatre and run it independently of the Council.”
