SPARKING Chester’s cultural renaissance is neither quick nor simple, as seen 10 December during One City Plan’s drop-in sessions concerning the new Theatre, Library and Cinema development.
Chester’s Theatre, Library and Cinema will be a cultural hub for the city after its completion in early 2016. © Bennett Architects
However, with leadership from determined directors and a strong community voice advocating for this project, Chester’s flame will burn brighter in the future.
Midday and evening information sessions were held at Chester Town Hall’s Palatine Room. Members from the key organisations One City Plan, Chester Renaissance, Chester Theatre Project and Chester Performs were all in attendance to provide answers to the community.
Amy Bishop, marketing manager at Chester Performs, said this threefold building will be of great use to the organisation, which currently uses the open-air [theatre in Grosvenor?] to produce shows in the summer.
The old Odeon will be converted into a cinema, which appears to “float above the information hub in the open gallery space,” Bishop said.
Unlike a traditional library that closes by 6 p.m., the library in this complex will remain open as long as the two other spaces are in use.
“The intention is to make it a real shared space,” Bishop said.
Chester Performs will manage the theatre once it opens, but they were not able to release titles of specific shows in the works. However, members of the community were able to see recently revealed plans for the dual-purpose theatre.
In the winter, the theatre will hold 800 seats and use a proscenium arch, allowing audiences to look into the stage. This style can accommodate larger performances from touring groups like the Royal Shakespeare Company. During summer months, the stalls will be raised and the stage becomes a thrust. Actors are surrounded by a smaller audience of 500 for a more engaging and intimate feel.
Graham Lister, Director of Chester’s Theatre, Library and Cinema, also expressed his excitement for the transformable stage designed by London architecture firm Bennetts Associates.
“I’m really excited by the prospect of the changes in the auditorium. It’s not full of highly expensive machinery- it’s actually just standard demountable staging,” he said.
“It will feel as if there’s a real difference from when you go in the summer and when you go in the winter,” Lister said.
Details concerning the demolition, architecture and seating arrangements of the £37.5m project have already been discussed in earlier community meetings. Attendees still found time to debate aspects such as improving transport, construction’s effect on roads and how the private sector can become more involved in Chester’s renaissance. Putting these smaller issues aside, it is exciting to see the Theatre, Library and Cinema Project develop into a location that will become a centre of culture and positive tourism for Chester.
For more on the Chester Theatre Project, see here, and for more on the One City Plan, see here.
Chester Record 