Latest news with #artsvenue
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Arts venue plan to save Glasgow church from demolition
A Glasgow church facing demolition could be converted into an arts and wedding venue in a bid to save the owners of the Engine Works - an events space in the city's Maryhill - have a £1.65m restoration plan for the former Partick Methodist church on Dumbarton have asked Glasgow City Council for permission to "rescue and reimagine" the building as a venue called the West Works.A demolition warrant for the site was previously submitted, but current owners Michael and Adele McDonagh say they would "save the building for future generations to embrace". The proposal would turn the building into a 300-capacity venue for "weddings, events, arts, filming, and community gatherings - supporting local culture and economic growth".Plans state that the Engine Works - a restored former warehouse - was "carefully brought brought back to life over four years. Ongoing renewal The applicants say they would bring the same "care and commitment" to Partick Methodist Church and that they see "enduring potential" in it. The proposal adds: "We believe this project aligns with the regeneration goals of both Glasgow and Partick and should set a new benchmark for the thoughtful reuse of our historic buildings."A Grand Hall is proposed as the main event space, while the former vestry would become a two-level space for workshops, exhibitions and meetings.A Hidden Garden is also applicants say the transformation would support jobs, create opportunities, and contribute to ongoing renewal in Partick. Story by Local Democracy Reporting Service reporter Drew Sandelands.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wrexham Ty Pawb cultural hub could overspend by £500,000
An arts venue seen as crucial to a UK City of Culture bid is facing a projected overspend of £89,000 this rents and charges have risen at Tŷ Pawb, which is set to form a key part of Wrexham's bid to take the title for 2029. The city missed out to Bradford for the UK City of Culture award in 2025, but councillors are keen to try again for 2029. However, unless further savings or additional revenue can be found by April next year, Tŷ Pawb is projected to have overspent its budget by more than half a million pounds since 2022. Wrexham council's Employment, Business and Investment Scrutiny Committee will examine the situation next week, with one area of the venue, the Maker Space, being converted into a retail unit for the budget pressures, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported how the venue's popularity increased by 17% last year in terms of "everyone's house" in English, the space brings together market stalls, arts, and play for children, as well as gatherings of local groups."Tŷ Pawb is a vital and much loved community hub," said chairwoman of the Wrexham Community and Culture Trust, Joanna Swash."Its diverse cultural programme of internationally renowned exhibitions, performing arts, markets and family activities attracts local, national and international visitors to Wrexham city centre."Tighter financial monitoring has been put in place, while charges have also been introduced for an arts space which was previously available for a result, in 2024-25 it brought in £23,513 and is aiming to bring in a further £22,000 this is still needed at Tŷ Pawb which is contributing to the financial are ongoing into issues with the roof and the installation this summer of a new £63,000 car park management system to improve year the venue spent £42,000 on roof patching, flood repair works and upgrades to car park lighting. This article was written by a trusted journalist and then edited for length and style with the help of AI, before being checked again by a BBC Journalist. It's part of a pilot.
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Greg Wise calls his Nanny McPhee star wife Dame Emma Thompson the Winch Wench
She starred in Nanny McPhee, and the Harry Potter films. But in her downtime Oscar nominee Dame Emma Thompson loves nothing more than a bit of woodwork. The 66-year-old's husband said Dame Emma is known as the 'Winch Wench' for getting creative at home on the banks of Loch Eck in Argyll. Speaking on Virgin Radio, Greg Wise, 59, told show host Chris Evans of the BAFTA-winner's fondness for his 'madly dangerous' power tools. 'I have something called a portable capstan winch Em fell in love with and became the Winch Wench,' he said. The couple have owned their Scottish home - near the picturesque Clyde town of Dunoon - for 20 years. Such is their involvement in the local community that they recently threw their weight behind a campaign to save local arts venue Dunoon Burgh Hall. In an effort to highlight the plight of the venue and the efforts to save it, Dame Emma, 65, and Wise, who married near the town in 2003 and have a house nearby on the shores of Loch Eck, recorded a video message. In it, Dame Emma said: 'It's the most extraordinary building - so beautiful but inside, so vibrant and alive. 'They have the most wonderful art shows and the most wonderful resources for the elderly, the young. It's a community hub like no other and we are so lucky to have such a thing in Dunoon.' Wise, 58, who described the hall as 'extraordinary', then said: 'So please help as much as you can, spread the word, help raise funds, keep this wonderful building open. 'It's a crown for Dunoon and it would be an absolute travesty were it to disappear.' Dame Emma, who spent much of her childhood in Scotland, then ended the video saying: 'Help us save this precious treasure.' The Tutti Frutti, Harry Potter and Love Actually star's mother is Glasgow-born actress Phyllida Law, 92. As well as their home near Dunoon, Dame Emma and her husband own a £3million house in Hampstead, north London, and another property in Venice.
