New hope for troubled Windsor Arts Centre

Published Tuesday 8 January 2008 at 15:05 by Lalayn Baluch

Windsor Arts Centre, which closed last month in the wake of a financial crisis, looks set to be saved following bids from six parties all vying to take over management of the beleaguered venue.

The front-runner is thought to be a new charitable trust that includes people who were involved in the arts centre’s conception, while two other interested parties are in talks with Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council to secure the lease of the building.

Insolvency practitioner David Tann, of Nortons Recovery Limited, the company which took over administration of the venue’s operator Windsor Community Arts Centre Limited, told The Stage that new management could be in place within a week.

He added: “There seems to be a real desire amongst a number of people in and around Windsor and the royal borough to see it continue to operate as an arts centre.”

WAC was forced to go dark four weeks ago due to worsening financial problems, leaving 12 members of staff redundant, despite a £50,000 cash advance from the local council.

Figures released by the authority, which invests £80,000 in the venue annually, reveal that the company was £124,000 in the red - a deficit that was expected to increase to £150,000 by the end of April - and had lost money in six out of the last eight years.

Following the closure, the authority refused to provide the arts centre with additional cash. However, Jesse Grey, lead member for culture at the council, and one of the venue’s trustees, emphasised the authority’s commitment both to the arts and to WAC.

He commented: “The council’s budget preparation for 2008/9 already proposes a renewal of the £80,000 grant for the arts centre’s operating company. This money will be ring-fenced for arts provision through whatever alternative means the trustees believe is appropriate.”