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A replacement for Theatr Gwynedd will cost £25-30 million

AT THE end of September, Cardiff witnessed an event of almost epic scale. The much anticipated addition to the capital’s retail quarter finally opened its doors, and the new John Lewis store was unveiled amid much pomp and ceremony, oversized sculptures and media coverage.

The £35 million pound building dominates the Cardiff skyline. And it has clearly caught the  imagination of Welsh shoppers as some 200,000 visitors flocked to the Hayes in the first few days to see what the store had to offer.

It’s a shiny, bright, big building that is attractive to audiences and, on opening night, it was attracting paying customers. That a flagship store can open during a recession is one thing. That it was accompanied by ringing till sales is another.

The new store is a visible and considerable investment in Wales, providing a boost to the retail sector and the Welsh economy. This, alongside the theatricality surrounding the opening of the new store, is reminiscent of the investment currently being made in the arts sector in Wales. In particular the cash that is being channeled towards upgrading many of our arts venues across the country.

The Sherman Theatre was established in Cardiff in 1973, as part of Cardiff University’s buildings. In 2007 it announced a joint venture with Script Cymru, the national company for new writing, and became Sherman Cymru.

In June this year, it received a Capital Lottery grant of nearly £4 million from the Arts Council of Wales which will see the theatre building completely transformed. This is around three-quarters of the total cost of the redevelopment. The rest of the money will come from the private sector, fundraising activities and individual donations.

Sherman Cymru has developed a reputation for producing new work, particularly in the English-language. It recently produced the award-winning play Deep Cut, based on the real-life controversy over a series of deaths of young soldiers at an army barracks in Surrey, including that of Cheryl James, from Llangollen. It also staged Annie Casteldine’s version of Pinter’s The Caretaker with Miriam Karlin as the first woman to play the title role.

Sherman Cymru says it will continue to produce and tour theatre around the UK and maintain its learning and engagement work during the refurbishment. But the current Sherman building will close its doors to audiences for 18 months and is scheduled to re-open in January 2010.

On the other side of Cardiff, the building work is almost complete at the Chapter Arts Centre. Chapter is known for attracting the more independent, off-beat productions and is home to dance company Earthfall.

Once again it is the public purse which is picking up the lion’s share of the cost, contributing over £2 million pounds to the project. The rest of the money, some £1.8 million, will be generated through grants and fundraising. Chapter has remained open during its makeover, perhaps explaining why the new building didn’t open as planned in the spring of this year with a series of special events.

Just over a year ago, ambitious plans costing around £25-30m for a replacement for Theatr Gwynedd were announced by Bangor university. Theatr Gwynedd is synonymous with Welsh-language theatre, most notably the work of Bara Caws, and it is also a place where students from the university can experience working in the theatre at first hand. This main theatre venue for people in North West Wales currently remains derelict and in a sorry state of affairs. Here, vandalism has replaced art and culture. However, the plans would, according to the university, improve arts facilities for the whole community and include a theatre, lecture theatres, exhibition spaces, bar and cafe.

In the face of these substantial price tags, the temptation is to ask whether such spending on the arts is necessary. Do we need modern, purpose-built and expensive venues to stage our culture? Arguably theatre can exist anywhere. It simply requires two things – an actor and an audience. Wales, moreover, has a rich culture of amateur performance. Generations of children have competed in eisteddfodau both locally and nationally. Many have cut their teeth in chapels or working men’s clubs before forging a professional career. At a community level, it provides valuable experience and binds society together.

But the truth is we do need infrastructure, and we need professional national theatre companies producing work in both of our official languages. Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is based in Carmarthen where it rehearses, but its official brief is to tour Wales’s leading theatre venues and to attract paying customers. Its repertoire to date includes Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Saunders Lewis’ Esther.

Its English-language younger sister, the National Theatre Wales describes itself as non-building based and says that its productions will take place in a “surprising variety of unexpected places and established venues across Wales”. It is due to announce its line-up shortly.

We have waited a long time to see our national theatres established. To showcase their work fully, to as wide an audience as possible, investment in bricks and mortar is crucial. The bigger predicament that faces theatre companies more generally is how to retain their audiences, especially when venues are closed for refurbishment.

Audiences, like shoppers, value choice. John Lewis was full on its opening night because it was the new kid on the block. It also added to the high street mix available to shoppers. Wales needs a variety of venues that can continue attract a diverse range of high quality culture. This will benefit both the arts in Wales and the audience.