Memorandum submitted by The Theatres Trust
The Theatres Trust welcomes the opportunity
to comment on the DCMS Select Committee Inquiry. We are aware
that our submission to the earlier inquiry, Protecting and Preserving
our Heritage (HC 912), will be taken into account in this inquiry,
however we would like to add some supplementary comments in this
case.
The Theatres Trust is an advisory non-Departmental
Public Body and a statutory consultee on planning applications
that affect land on which there is a theatre, and was established
by the Theatres Trust Act in 1976 "to promote better protection
of theatres". Our 15 Trustees are appointed by the Secretary
of State for Culture, Media and Sport, though our remit covers
the whole of the UK. The Trust's main objective is to safeguard
theatre use, or the potential for such use, through direct engagement
and advisory work in the fields of theatre and culture, planning,
regeneration, architecture, and heritage.
Our primary areas of concern are theatres and
performing arts collections. Our submission identifies the importance
of specialist collections in providing a coordinated and comprehensive
resource for all sectors of the community.
SUBMISSION FROM
THE THEATRES
TRUST
1. The Theatres Trust would welcome greater
acknowledgement of the importance and potential of its archive
resources, in supporting its statutory functions, and engaging
with wider audiences. The Trust receives a small annual grant
of £55,000 (2006) from the Government, which supports the
Trust's work as a statutory body and as a statutory planning consultee.
It does not provide any support for our archive, a collection
widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive architectural and
historical record of theatre buildings in the UK. Our Information
Access project, which seeks to improve and increase accessibility
to the Trust's information resources, has only been possible with
the assistance of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
2. The Trust regards it as important to
see a greater recognition of the value of the collections cared
for by museums, libraries and archives, and the importance of
adequate funding to secure their future. Without national support
specialist performing arts collections are at risk of dissemination
and removal from public access.
3. Cultural provision at the local community
level in its widest sense (such as theatres, cinemas, libraries,
museums, village halls, places of worship, playing fields and
community sports centres) plays a vital role in supporting sustainable
communities, for example through promoting health and well-being.
Cultural facilities should therefore be seen as an essential prerequisite
for a healthy population, rather than an additional, but nonessential,
component of life. Cultural activities provide participation opportunities
for groups excluded from, or less able to access, mainstream services,
such as younger or older people and those without access to a
car. Local activities can promote social inclusion, bringing together
existing and new communities, particularly in areas of growth,
and good quality, accessible local cultural facilities are key
to creating communities where people will continue to want to
live and work.
4. In order to increase participation in
cultural activity and meet future community needs for cultural
facilities, local authorities need to have adhered to the local
cultural strategy for the area. However, we are consistently disappointed
by the level of interest from outside bodies and the local authorities
in achieving this goal. There is often no joined up thinking between
the planning department and the cultural section, which clearly
should be fully integrated to achieve a successful and useful
spatial plan. Similarly, the Trust appears to be a loan champion
in advising local authorities to include culture within their
local plan.
28 September 2006
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