Frustration over 'lack of progress' on Bromsgrove's Artrix

Bromsgrove Arts Alive, an association of arts and culture organisations in the area, have written an open letter to Bromsgrove District Council and The Artrix Holding Trust, calling for progress reports on the future arts provision in the town.

The letter states: “Without Artrix there is no focal point for the arts in Bromsgrove and the only larger venues for theatre and music are at Bromsgrove School, access to which is severely restricted.

“It is a considerable embarrassment and disadvantage to the people of Bromsgrove and the surrounding districts that as one of the larger towns in Worcestershire it lacks such a facility, to the detriment of its economic, environmental and social wellbeing.”

The association were invited to have representatives on an advisory group to the Artrix Holding Trust which produced a report on the future of the Artrix last January.

The report was considered by the trust last June which was then followed by further consultancy work in September.

However since then, Bromsgrove Arts Alive say there have been no reports or updates on progress.

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The letter goes on: “It seems that decisions are being kicked down the road.

“It is perhaps understandable to prevaricate when faced with difficult decisions but we would urge the council and the holding trust to issue progress reports and make 2023 the year when they rise to the challenge of making positive decisions regarding the reopening of Artrix and the future provision for Arts in Bromsgrove.”

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Chairman of Bromsgrove Arts Alive, Steve Cowperthwaite said the association are keen to work with the trust and the council as an apolitical group.

He hopes the letter will ‘nudge’ bosses to ‘get things moving’.

The trust which currently does not have an elected chairperson is scheduled to have a private meeting this Thursday, February 23 where a new chairperson is set to be elected.

Cllr Charlie Hotham, a member of the trust said everyone is ‘working hard’ to form a ‘solution to the problem’.

The Artrix. (Image: Artrix Holding Trust.)

Bromsgrove Lib Dems are also calling for a ‘rescue plan’ to save the Artrix and has criticised the proposed budget for this year which offers no subsidy for the venue.

The group have submitted an alternative budget which would add an extra 20p a month to the council tax bill of an average household, raising £92,000 to fund the Artrix.

Cllr Rob Hunter leader of the Lib Dem Group on Bromsgrove District Council said: “Nobody wants to put more burden on local residents, especially during the cost-of-living crisis, but we think 20p a month represents the right balance between saving a much loved and widely used community asset and being fair to hard-pressed taxpayers.”

Leader of Bromsgrove District Council, Cllr Karen May, said £92,000 will not ‘solve the problem’ and the council ‘needs a proposal from the holding trust’.

She said: “I absolutely believe in the Artrix – it’s a wonderful venue in a great location.

“The holding trust needs to have a meeting and we, as the council, cannot influence them, the trust is a separate entity.”

There have been concerns from residents that plans for the permanent transformation of Market Hall will replace the Artrix.

However, Cllr May has emphasised that the Market Hall plans are ‘an add-on’ and ‘not a replacement’.

She said: “We cannot use the Levelling up funding we were granted by the government to invest in the Artrix.

“Criteria for the Levelling up funding was for brownfield sites and the money cannot be used for anything else besides the Market Hall and Windsor Street site.”