Major boost for Garden City Arts Centre

This is a joint statement from the Trustees of The Place, North Hertfordshire District Council and Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, following a meeting held on Friday, October 21, 2005.

"The prospects for art in Letchworth Garden City have been significantly boosted through the creation of a new Partnership.

"The Letchworth Garden City Arts Partnership brings together senior representatives from The Place, North Hertfordshire District Council and Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation to develop arts activities for all.

"The Partnership's first act will be the recruitment of a full-time Arts Development Manager on a one-year contract funded jointly by the Council and the Foundation. It is hoped that an appointment will be made before the end of the year with Arts Council England East involved in the selection process.

"An essential element of the new manager's role will be arts development for the arts centre. The Foundation, as landlords, is considering further investment at The Place's Leys Avenue premises in 2006, including the introduction of lift access.

"In spite of the Foundation's very substantial financial contributions of over £400,000 over the years and the efforts of North Herts District Council and many volunteers, The Place has continued to struggle financially.

Commenting on the formation of the new Partnership, Mike Hann, Chairman of The Place Trustees, said: " We are deeply grateful to the Council and the Foundation for this new commitment to supporting the future of the arts centre in what has been a very difficult year for The Place. We look forward to playing our full part in the Arts Partnership and thus helping to secure a bright future for the arts centre in 2006 and beyond."

Cllr Michael Paterson, Chairman of both the new Partnership and the Council's Letchworth Garden City Area Committee, said: "Our commitment to jointly fund the new Manager's post is part of a wider agenda to develop leisure and cultural provision in Letchworth Garden City and North Hertfordshire generally."

Alan Scouller, Partnership Vice-Chairman and Chairman of Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, said: "We are committed to the continuing provision of an arts centre in the heart of the world's first Garden City as an integral part of a vibrant 21 st Century town centre."

The representatives of the new Partnership will be:

• Cllr Michael Paterson
• Alan Scouller
• Mike Hann
• Ann Crook, Trustee of The Place
• Patrick Candler, Head of Community & Cultural services, NHDC
• Alan Howard, Director of Marketing & PR, Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation
• Tim Stephen, Community Development Manager, NHDC
• Alastair Stewart, Education Liaison Officer, LGCHF
• Plus one further NHDC Councillor and one further Foundation Board member to be announced.