CAPITAL PROJECT NEWS MAY 16
“This will be a transformative project for a venue which plays an increasingly important role in the region and which will be more accessible, more resilient and more sustainable as a result. Lighthouse is a flagship cultural destination and we look forward to seeing the venue flourish with the help of our investment.� Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England
www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
The future starts here It’s a rare thing in the arts, or any other walk of life for that matter, but for once we know what the future holds. As Lighthouse closes its doors to the public at the end of the month I will breathe a huge sigh of relief for I know that four short months later, when it reopens on 12 October it will be a better, improved, more flexible Lighthouse, able to look forwards with renewed confidence. Scores of talented people have worked tirelessly to get us to this point and scores more will work every bit as hard to make sure the work to update our building is completed in time and to the very highest standard. After that it is up to us to make sure that everything that happens here continues to be worthy of those efforts. Not least because from as early as next year the upgraded Concert Hall means we will be able to deliver ten more major performances a year – that’s potentially 15,000 more audience members in the Concert Hall alone. In our other spaces, within two years we will be welcoming more than 10,000 additional visitors a year to experience world-class artistic activity across a range of art forms, from theatre and music to dance, circus and the visual arts. The impact of this modernisation work will be felt for years to come – 2.5% saved on our annual utility bills, in addition to the £425,000 we estimate will be saved on reduced maintenance costs in the next ten years. I know we will have made a building that is better placed than ever to serve the community by generating amazing – and in some cases life-changing – experiences that last forever. I hope that you like it!
Elspeth McBain, Chief Executive, Lighthouse
WE ARE COUNTING DOWN
We are counting down to the builders moving in on 31 May and there is much to do to get ready as we clear the building and move the admin team to the BSO offices where they will work for the summer. Also, we have been working hard over the last few months to create our new website and install a brand new ticketing system. Technology has moved forward in huge strides and we are investing heavily to ensure we keep up with new systems and digital platforms. Over the next few months the website will continue to be populated and to develop. Lighthouse will reopen on Wednesday 12 October for the first BSO concert of the season with the new Sherling Studio opening at the end of November.
Back with a bang! What better way to re-open Lighthouse than with Kirill Karabits conducting Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in its traditional autumn season curtain raiser? For nearly 40 years the Orchestra has shared this iconic building and when the BSO’s much-loved Chief Conductor steps out onto the stage on Wednesday 12 October he will do so in a Concert Hall that has new air cooling and humidity control technology, making it a better place to be for performers and audiences alike. Shortly before he takes the podium he will have been in the newly refurbished dressing rooms and after the performance he will be able to take advantage of the new Green Room, the first time our building has had the traditional backstage space in which performers can relax and mingle. The Orchestra will also benefit from improved storage and security backstage. The programme for our reopening concert features Walton’s sparkling second symphony, Rachmaninov’s ever-popular Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Tchaikovsky’s richly evocative Capriccio Italien.
Pop-up box office to open As Lighthouse closes its doors for the summer, a temporary ticket office will open outside the Terrace cafe on Tuesday 31 May and operate a five-day service, opening Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 5pm, until 7 October. “Although we’re closing for longer than usual this summer we’re not going away – far from it,” says Chief Executive Elspeth McBain. “The investment in the future of this magnificent building will pay instant dividends in that we will be fit for the future to meet the changing needs of the entire community.” The summer refresh of Lighthouse includes: ✚ Moving the main entrance to a central position; ✚ Creating zones so that heat, light and power are not
wasted in areas that are not in use; ✚ Installing clear glass across the front of the building; ✚ Transforming the Studio with a thrust configuration so
the audience will be wrapped around the performance space creating a more flexible flat floor layout; ✚ Making the building more energy efficient with LED
lighting and new floor finishes; ✚ Overhauling the moving flat floor mechanism
and installing new air cooling and humidification technology in the Concert Hall; ✚ Modernising the backstage area with improved
security, upgraded dressing rooms and the creation of a Green Room; and ✚ Creating a new education and learning suite on the first
floor, creating a new rehearsal room and updating the existing Function Rooms with better acoustics, sound insulation and digital screens. Lighthouse is already benefitting from the initial work carried out last summer that included new sound and lighting in the Concert Hall and Theatre as well as a host of technical, mechanical and electronic improvements. “When you do something like this the work doesn’t just finish,” says Elspeth. “As with any treasured landmark there are always things that are going to need looking at,
otherwise the building becomes static and before long it begins to decline. It’s vital we maintain the building and keep it current so that it continues to inspire and service our audiences. “While income is generated through ticket sales and our entertainment facilities, as a registered charity Lighthouse relies on donations from our supporters to keep the building running, attract high quality artists, and provide a wealth of opportunity to experience art and culture that sustains our current offer and enables us to launch our exciting plans for the future.” Top Image: New Main Entrance Right Image: New Stage Door Reception
12 October Lighthouse reopens to the public on Tuesday 12 October
Finishing touches Although much of the work to make our building fit for the future is going on behind the scenes, there will still be significant alterations to the public areas. Most notably of course, the front entrance is returning to its original central position but beneath a new canopy and illuminated signage. Clear glass will be installed across the front of the building to create a space that looks inviting and inspiring. As visitors enter the lobby they will have a clear choice to go straight up the main staircase in front of them or turn left to the cafe, or right to the ticket office, Cinema and new-look Studio. These areas will be carpeted and can be closed off when not in use in order to save heat and power. There will be new furniture in the foyer and new carpets on the first floor as well as in the theatre, where the seats will be cleaned and repaired. The works programme also includes the replacement of all the original pipe work so clean drinking water can be provided throughout the building, removing the need to buy and import bottled drinking water.
New Green Room
All systems go! Work to transform Lighthouse is set to start the moment the doors close. The first jobs involve the deconstruction of the current Studio, the backstage area where the dressing rooms are to be completely renovated and a new Green Room created and the first floor space where the new educational suite and rehearsal room will be. Work will also begin almost immediately on the overhaul of the Concert Hall’s famous flat floor mechanism.
New Dressing Room
Hoardings will be put up across the front of the building connected to the pop-up box office outside the Terrace cafe and the side of the building on Seldown Lane will also be fenced off. It is estimated most of the construction work will take about 12 weeks, leaving a further five weeks for final finishes, decoration and to make Lighthouse ready to reopen to the public.
Why I Love Lighthouse EMMA BOVEY
I’m responsible for proactively renting out our venues to outside organisations – from concert bookings for household name artists to local dance schools and community bands, as well as conferences, sporting events and private parties, training sessions and product launches and electoral counts for the Borough. In short, if it involves moving lots of furniture and a late night it’s probably down to me! This year we have been the venue for the Polaris professional jiu-jitsu invitational that was broadcast around the world, so Lighthouse is not only a venue for world class music, theatre, dance, comedy and film, it’s a venue for world class sport as well. The RNLI chose to come here for its annual AGM, Question Time broadcast from Lighthouse in February and we were the venue for a conference about combating sexual violence against women. In May next year the European Maritime Day will be based in Poole, the first time it has come to the UK. Coinciding with Poole Harbour Boat Show, as well as cultural activities at Baiter, it’s a major event for the international maritime community and Lighthouse will host its conference so we’ll be welcoming delegates from all over Europe as well as the world’s media.
Alongside ticket sales and secondary spending, rentals are a crucial revenue stream supporting our high quality arts programme and helping put Lighthouse on the wider map. Events like these also contribute to cultivating new audiences by bringing people into the building that might not otherwise come. The modernisation of our facilities enables us to greatly improve our offer, whether it’s the massively improved new sound system in the Concert Hall and upgraded dressing rooms that will help attract better known concert artists, or the digital overhaul of our meeting rooms to bring them up to current conferencing specifications, it’s all about maintaining the very highest standards. Because we are such a diverse business my job is completely unique, it just wouldn’t exist in this form anywhere else. I love it. Emma Bovey, Events Manager, Lighthouse
Double up Lighthouse has ambitious plans over the next three years to expand its programme of activity, curating and producing an inclusive arts offering for the whole community and ensuring that everyone can experience art that they enjoy. Our ambitious plans for the future include: ✚P roviding the best live arts experience through a
diverse programme aimed at the whole community in theatre, music, dance, cinema, circus and comedy. ✚P roviding a world-class facility to grow and nurture
the very best talent from our community through new learning opportunities, investment in young and emerging artists and opportunities for artists to showcase their skills. ✚L aunching new and exciting opportunities for young
people in our community to participate in high quality arts activities and providing a base for them to showcase their work. However, these plans are built on the need to ensure the venue is fit for purpose in the long term and provides a base to launch our exciting plans. We need to raise £400,000 to finalise our ambitious capital development and help take Lighthouse forwards. A number of our generous supporters have already agreed to contribute £200,000 if the remaining funds can be raised. This means that every £1 that is donated will automatically be doubled, worth £2.25 if Gift Aid is added. Your support is vital to Lighthouse – not just now, but in the long term – as we do all we can to ensure that Lighthouse is the cultural leader in the South West. Visit www.lovelighthouse.co.uk to find out how you can help.
New Function Room
£400k appeal target
Please get involved By making a donation you can play an important part in ensuring Lighthouse remains a world class venue right here in Poole. ONLINE
lovelighthouse.co.uk PHONE
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