| Topic: | Re:Re:Watermans out of touch? | |
| Posted by: | Anthony Waller | |
| Date/Time: | 03/01/13 03:00:00 |
| Maybe a bucket of cold water is what is needed to wake people up. I love the Watermans, it's been a place of focus for me and my friends going right back to when it opened and we were still at school. But whilst it's had a bit of a renaissance in recent years, it is a shadow of what it once was. It's also had too many years in the doldrums caused by political meddling and very poor direction. And, as is the norm in the arts world, gets a bit cliquey. In the mid 80's it was well and truly on the map as one of the UKs top theatre and arts venues. The Pop quiz was legend and packed out every time. The New Year gigs sold out year after year and the place buzzed. How will a new location make that happen again? It still does some pretty good stuff but has drifted away from what it is supposed to be and it is a pretty good facility despite being a poorly designed building. It was founded for the impoverished people of Brentford a district that had been on a downer since the end of WW2. It's done marvels for both this town and South Ealing which is also short on facilities. But the silence from the Hounslow Arts Trust and the constant denials throughout 2011 and 2012 about moving are now not 'silly rumours' but a clear intention. What is far from clear is what will we end up with? The whole thing is reliant on grants, and funding which comes from residents, taxpayers and most importantly those who pay to use it and support it, should it not be a lot clearer what is going on? Developers and LBH may want the site to plonk another tower block on but with no guarantees of a better facility, should they even be considering a move? It has echoes of the Richmond Ice Rink debacle and where is the new Ice Rink? If that's a rant then fine but better than sitting on a fence and nodding and then crying after the milk is spilt. No-one has come forward and even hinted at what a replacement facility will provide or where and how it will be widely used and successful. It needs much wider debate and proper consultation rather than the usual loaded questions. |