Introduction
Fred Scott, a Croydon piano teacher and pianist and who runs and Soundpractice music agency, explains his involvement with Fairfield Halls. His experience and that of the Croydon Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Festival, are examples of how individuals and groups can help to ensure that FH
has a varied programme of events, in Fred’s case with a particular emphasis on
showcasing Croydon and South London young talent, and the Festival in
celebrating a famous son of Croydon.
Fred Scott
FH
has always been co-operative in allowing me to book events there focused on
performances involving local young artists across genres of music.
‘Soundpractice
has staged events including lunchtime concerts, pre-concert foyer performances
and events for last year's Coleridge-Taylor Festival. This last especially was
a great forum for young people to perform; some students of mine were able to
have premiered a piece they had written around SCT, also involving LMP in the
performance.
Last
November saw local Youth Theatre Company Studio 74 give the first performance
in Ashcroft Theatre of a new musical by Stella Coussell (South London composer)
called 'Song for the World', based around the life of SCT, a further
performance for BHM 2013 is currently being arranged.
in
addition, Soundpractice has been able to put on concerts as fund-raisers for
Skeletal Cancer Action Trust, some of these have featured people affected by
that disease. More of these concerts are planned for 2014.
There
will be a series of concerts in Spring 2014 which will raise funds for SCAT,
involving a celebration of the 80th birthday of eminent British composer, and
South London resident, Justin Connolly, who will also be performing himself.
Future
concerts in 2014 will also include prominent international artists in recital who bring their
considerable following to Croydon.
Included
in current planning is to stage a major international-reach multi-genre music
festival culminating in a collaboration to find instrumentalists, composers and
conductors of excellence.
I
would like to help re-establish FH as a major centre within London for the
staging of important musical/cultural events as it is my firmly held belief
that if the profile can be raised sufficiently this will only benefit Croydon
and demonstrate new possibilities to young people for avenues of achievement.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Festival 2012
Croydon based Surrey Opera’s Artistic Director Jonathan Butcher initiated the year long Croydon Samuel Coleridge Taylor Festival. Several events in the programme were held at FH, including the world premiere of the SC-T’s opera Thelma, and those organised by Fred Scott of Soundpractice agency (see above).
SCCF's Initiative
South
Croydon Community Association is to be congratulated on the initiative to discuss the
future of Fairfield Halls.
‘The
aim of the meeting is to organise ourselves so that we can present a coherent
vision to the management and trustees of Fairfield Halls and ensure that their
programme more closely meets the needs of the community.
By
bringing together many groups from across the Borough it must also be possible
to put together better bids for funding for Arts for the Fairfield Halls and
other venues.’
Questions
The Association has listed the following questions:
1. What entertainment, if any, would
people pay for?
2. How can the Fairfield Halls best serve
Croydon?
3. How can the Fairfield Halls generate
employment, especially for young people?
4. Can we create links between the
Fairfield Halls and various community groups?
Additional
questions that could be asked include:
What
improvements to publicity can be undertaken?
How
can FH’s publicity be linked to community websites and enetworks?
Can
those involved in Croydon Tech City help develop a cultural enetwork?
Has
FH got any spare space behind the scenes as office/workspace for cultural
organisations?
What
is the scope for increasing the number of exhibitions displayed at FH,
including in partnership with other organisations e.g. the current exhibition Modern Masters in Print: Matisse, Picasso,
Dalí and Warhol at Wandsworth Museum in partnership with the Victoria
& Albert Museum?
Can
lunch-time events be scheduled every day?
What
can be learnt from other venues like Battersea Arts Centre?
How
can the range of food and speed of service be improved at the café to make FH a
venue for people meeting informally for social and business purposes?
Some Comments
I
have received the following comments.
·
There
needs to be a better overall mix of events = very little studio stuff – film showings
should be very popular.
·
Long
term, the approach to the halls needs improvement – lighting at least – it is
currently bleak and somewhat forbidding.
·
How
can the larger concert hall be better used for events which do not attract a
full audience – e. g. partitioning –
would it be sensible to have long term plans for smaller auditoriums – similar
too, but better carried out, like many cinemas?
·
The
largest hall is poorly lit and badly in need of renovation if it is to attract
conferences and weddings which would perhaps allow for occasional charity
events/fairs.
·
The
food outlet needs huge improvement – expensive and not that good.
The Future
Role of the Council
Croydon
Council’s record over the last few years seems to have been one of cultural
destruction.
The
Budget Options papers 2013-14 approved
earlier this year spelt this out as follows:
·
‘Reduce the
council role in facilitation of culture - including reducing the archive
service to a statutory minimum.’
It
is deeply worrying when any local authority reduces its support for the wide
range of cultural and heritage activities.
We have already seen the damage done by the closure of the David Lean
Cinema in the Clocktower, the shafting of the Warehouse Theatre, and the
uncertainties about the future of the libraries. The rich heritage and history
of Croydon is an important part of cultural activity. Fortunately after
objections the Council reversed its
position on the reduction in the role of the Local Archives/Studies service.
With
further cuts that it will have to make, regardless of which political party is
in control, the Council cannot be relied on to invest any serious sums of money
in cultural activities. It will stretch the energies of campaigners to defend
what little remains, especially in respect of the Libraries and the
Archives/Local Studies Service. While it has a Cultural Strategy what it can do
to implement it will be determined by budget constraints.
In
sharp contrast to Croydon’s approach is that of Tory run Wandsworth Council.
The annual Arts Festival takes place this year from 3-19 May, and the Heritage
Festival from 30 May to 16 June.
Towards a
Community Cultural & Heritage Strategy
Every community and voluntary organisation is involved or can be involved in cultural and heritage activity. Community
and voluntary sector organisations so involved could consider developing their own Cultural & Heritage Strategy, designed
to foster joint working, identifying sources of money, sustaining what exists,
and forming the basis for demands on the Council in the future.
There
a number of broader issues that need to be taken into account in preparing such
a Strategy including the continuing recession, 'spiritual;' capital, and community cohesion and
diversity.
New Opportunities
New
opportunities continue to emerge.
·
The Heritage
Lottery Fund continues to support a range of local projects, many of which use
a wide range of cultural approaches to telling historical stories and examining
aspects of the heritage of the built environment. HLF has just announced a new
programme for smaller funded projects: Sharing History (£3m).
·
Whitgift
Foundation has announced it would like to do more work on Croydon’s heritage,
but is looking for funding, despite its own massive asset base and income
generation. Discussions need to be held with the Trustees to persuade them to
invest funds in community cultural and heritage activities.
·
Whether
you agree or not with the massive funding redevelopment of the Whitgift
shopping centre, the developers will have to provide a large sum of money under
the Community Infrastructure Levy (which has replaced Section 106). There is a
strong case for lobbying them (and the Council) to endow a fund for community
cultural and heritage activity controlled by the community and voluntary sector.
Where Next?
I
hope that the discussion started at the meeting will continue, with perhaps a
follow-up meeting in which those attending work in small groups on aspects of
developing a Community Cultural & Heritage Strategy leading the formation
of a Community Cultural & Heritage Alliance.
Sean
Creighton
A fuller note explaining some of the issues in more detail is available from
See
previous related discussion pieces at
Samuel
Coleridge-Taylor Network: https://sites.google.com/site/samuelcoleridgetaylornetwork.
Wandsworth
Arts Festival programme: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloads/file/8010/wandsworth_arts_festival_and_fringe_2013_brochure.
