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Title: Breaking New Ground for Arts and Entertainment in Doncaster Author: DMBC  ID & Publication: 20111011029 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Doncaster  Subject: Community News

A special breaking of the ground ceremony took place on Tuesday 11 October to mark construction work starting on Doncaster’s new £20m performance venue.

Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, regional director Dan Needham from the council’s development partner Muse Developments, Keith Shivers Regional Director from the contractor VINCI Construction UK and Cluny Macpherson, Regional Director of Arts Council England accompanied two members of the Little Theatre’s Youth Theatre, young dancers from local dance groups and members of the Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra Junior Band to break the first piece of ground to celebrate this momentous occasion. The orchestra also performed at the ceremony.

Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, said: ‘This is an historic moment for Doncaster as work on its new venue gets underway. With its numerous performance spaces and world class facilities it will be another big attraction our residents and visitors to the town can benefit from. Whether it’s catching the latest shows and performers, participating in and learning about the arts or simply a place to meet up and unwind with friends there will be something we all can enjoy. It will certainly put the culture into the town’s new Civic and Cultural Quarter and promises to be one of the most talked about new venues in the country.’

Regional director for Muse, Dan Needham, said: ‘The Doncaster CCQ scheme is really coming together with great progress being made at the Civic Offices and the launch of the Civic Quarter car park. It’s great to see the next piece of the jigsaw- the NPV now beginning to take shape.’

Keith Shivers, Regional Director at Vinci Construction UK said: ‘We are really excited to begin work on this great new performance venue in Doncaster. VINCI Construction UK is honoured to be able to play such a key role in the regeneration of the town centre – by building a brand new state-of-the-art performance space. Such a grand building will no doubt boost the local economy and put Doncaster back on the map by giving local artists real opportunities and attracting top-class performers.’

Cluny Macpherson, Regional Director, Arts Council England said: ‘Doncaster’s new performance venue is a hugely exciting prospect for the town. The multi-purpose nature of the space will open the centre up to all kinds of arts activity, encouraging collaboration and offering more opportunities for people to get involved in great art. We are delighted to be a partner in this project which will provide the town with a first rate arts venue that the people of Doncaster can be proud of.’

The yet to be named venue has a modern design with large expanses of glazing allowing people to see inside. This gives it a warm and welcoming feel. The focal point of the 4,625m2 building is the copper clad main entrance that leads visitors from Doncaster’s first civic square into the venue.

Inside, the venue is a real box of tricks. It features a 600 seat theatre with fly tower and the latest technology to accommodate touring shows, a 200 seated or 400 standing flexible space ideal for live music and smaller productions, modern dance and drama studios, educational and rehearsal spaces that double up as meeting and conference rooms, a light and spacious foyer and box office area and a lively café bar which enjoys uninterrupted views out onto the public square.

The venue will build on the work of Doncaster’s popular Hothouse Festival by providing a wonderful mix of stand-up comedy, classical music, comedy theatre, children and family performances, contemporary dance, music and much more. Open during the day and into the evening, it will offer a wide and diverse programme of entertainment.

The venue has been supported financially by Arts Council England and should open its doors in spring 2013. It was designed by specialist theatre architects, Arts Team RHWL.

As well as bringing new arts and entertainment to the town, the venue is an important part of the new £300m Civic and Cultural Quarter (CCQ) that intends to regenerate the Waterdale area of the town centre.

Work on the CCQ began in November 2010 and good progress is being made. Construction of the new civic offices has reached the top floor, a new route for motorists around the area is operational, a new look and much improved Civic Quarter Car Park has opened following its multi-million pound refurbishment and work to build the civic square and other public areas is well underway. The access road for deliveries to the venue has also been complete.

The CCQ project is supported financially by the European Union, as part of the European Regional Development Fund’s support for the region’s economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme.

For more information on NPV go to: www.doncaster.gov.uk/npv or www.doncasterhothouse.co.uk

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