Stage is set for success at Gaiety.

Oct 16 2009

IT’S your theatre and you will have a say in its future.

That’s the promise from the man who saved Ayr Gaiety.

Iain Brown is leading the team of high profile businessmen who will take over the landmark theatre.

And he vowed that the community will play a major part in shaping its future.

The Ayr Gaiety Partnership beat off competition from private businesses to convince council chiefs that the theatre can flourish in their care.

South Ayrshire Council voted to hand the Gaiety over to the partnership following an intensive bidding process.

Mr Brown said: “The easy bit is over, now the hard work will begin.”

The partnership was formed in the weeks following news that the council planned to close the Gaiety earlier this year.

The team – which also includes developer Alan MacDonald, ex-council leader Ian Welsh, lawyer Graeme McKinstry and businessmen David Cosh and Andrew Pickles – resolved to pull out all the stops to save it.

Mr Brown explained how he feared that the needs of the community would be overlooked if the historic Gaiety ended up in the hands of outsiders.

He said: “When the public meeting was held it was obvious that there was tremendous affection for the Gaiety.

“It was my view that it couldn’t be allowed to be handed over to outsiders. It had to be kept under local control.”

And he promised that community arts groups will play an important role in Gaiety programming.

He went on: “Programming will reflect local talent and we are conscious of their needs in terms of having affordable access to the Gaiety.

“Having said that, there will be a commercial aspect to this, there has to be.”

Once formed, the partnership moved quickly to present their bid to the council, which ultimately opted to give them a chance.

With £1million in public cash already waiting in the wings, Mr Brown revealed that it will take another £2 million to refurbish the Gaiety before the grand opening planned for November next year.

He is confident that the partnership can secure a further million from the Scottish Arts Council and/or the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A massive fundraising campaign will secure the final million.

And Mr Brown pointed out that within weeks the public will start to see changes at the theatre.

He added: “We’ll be putting scaffolding up soon.

“And we’ll erect giant banners letting people know the expected opening date.

“We’re also going to put up a giant thermometer to keep people up to date with where we are financially as well.”

The old Popplewells cafe at the theatre will also be reopened before the end of the year as an information centre.

And once all the work is complete Mr Brown is confident that it can pay for itself.

He explained: “We’ll be employing a professional theatre manager and his team to run the place. We’ll provide the business backbone, but we’re not the people to run it.

“With the right programming and some clever marketing we believe it will pay for itself. It doesn’t need to make a big profit, just earn enough to pay its way.”

But he admitted that the project needs community support, adding: “We already have quite a lot of support there.

“The Gaiety is held with great affection locally and I have no doubt that we can achieve our aim.”