Flying the flag for Berwick as Maltings plan approved
Border town presses the case for culture
Berwick’s cultural aspirations have received a major boost with Northumberland County Council’s planning committee approving ambitious plans to transform The Maltings arts centre.
The project, costed at £25.9 million, will see the venue on Eastern Lane dramatically upgraded.
Plans include a new and more flexible theatre space, two new cinema screens, a rehearsal studio, improved facilities for audiences, performers and staff, and additional spaces for community and cultural activities.
Better access has been a driving factor with the blueprint allowing for enhanced wheelchair positions in the auditorium and level backstage access.
County councillors have clearly been convinced of the potential benefits to the town, including more visitors to swell local coffers.
Not all the 336 people who responded to a public consultation supported the proposals but more than two thirds did.
County council leader Glen Sanderson said: “This will be a stunning addition to the town, creating a modern cultural venue in the heart of Berwick on a site which has already established itself over the past 35 years.
“This is the latest in a number of major investments in the town over recent years, from a new £23 million leisure centre, a £10 million project to create a thriving cultural hub at Berwick Barracks and £50 million into new schools and education improvements.”
He added: “I’d like to thank people for the high levels of support for our ambition to redevelop the Maltings venue and enhance its facilities.
“We are confident that not only will this be a hugely popular cultural venue, but it will continue to boost the wider economic fortunes of this wonderful town and north Northumberland.”
Maltings (Berwick) Trust CEO Ros Lamont said: “The Maltings (Berwick) Trust are absolutely delighted that the redevelopment of our Eastern Lane venue has been endorsed by the County Council’s strategic planning committee and we look forward to working closely with the project team on the next phase of delivery.”
The ambitious project is part funded by the Government-led Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, as well as the county council.
Maltings (Berwick) Trust chair Scott Sherrard has been putting the case for improving The Maltings in a series of online posts.
In July he passed on the town council’s endorsement and its “strong belief” that a “truly world-class facility” would benefit Berwick residents culturally and economically.
The council reckons the development will be a boon to town centre businesses by increasing footfall and believes the current venue “cannot accommodate the scale of growth and ambition required to meet future needs”.
It’s 35 years since The Maltings opened under the leadership of its first artistic director, Jonathan Stone (I remember his infectious enthusiasm as he showed me round the soon-to-open venue).
Over the decades it has more then proved its worth but exciting times lie ahead in a town rich in history, character and potential – and where wells of inspiration are deep.
If you doubt that, just ask all the artists who have been ‘in residence’ in Berwick over the years or, like LS Lowry, just visited and fell in love with the place.
Ask those who have explored the town’s nooks and crannies during the well established Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival or have visited the Gymnasium or Granary galleries – or those comedians who have enjoyed testing their Edinburgh Fringe material in front of a discerning Maltings audience.
A good account of the place would surely be given by Beth J. Ross, an artist based in North Shields who has been working with local women as part of the Berwick Shines programme produced by The Maltings (Berwick) Trust.
Working with Linda Bankier, of Berwick Record Office, and Susan Higgins, of The King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) collection, they have identified women who (happily or unhappily) have had a part to play in the town’s history.
They include Mabel Philipson, the third woman to be elected to the UK Parliament, Ellen Ainslie, a munitions worker from Tweedmouth, and poor Grace Griffin, the last person to be hanged in Berwick – in 1823, for murdering her drunken, wife-beating husband.
These, along with salmon queens, herring girls and bondagers, who worked on farms for a pittance, are to be remembered with a series of colourful flags.
A launch event at Berwick Barracks is scheduled for September 11, to be followed by tours and events during the week of Heritage Open Days (September 12 to 21).
It promises to be a colourful and thought-provoking spectacle. The flags will flutter until October 13, signalling ambition and cultural wellbeing to locals and visitors.