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Category Archives: Borough of Culture 2023
Council arts fund ignites row 11 years after deadly night of riots
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The decision by the Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, to call a Borough of Culture funding stream “The Ignite Fund” has been slammed for being crass, ill-judged and insensitive by victims of the Croydon Riots. The … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Boris Johnson, Borough of Culture 2023, Broad Green, Business, Community associations, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, West Croydon
Tagged Boris Johnson, Borough of Culture, Broad Green, Bushra Ahmed, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Croydon Old Town, Croydon Riots, Ignite Fund, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, Old Town, reeves corner, West Croydon
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London Mozart Players return with ‘revamp’ of the Messiah
The London Mozart Players, the “resident orchestra” of the Fairfield Halls that has been notable by their rare concert appearances at the council-owned venue in the last three years, has now published its performance dates into 2023, including what they … Continue reading
Mayor has weeks to save Fairfield Halls and Borough of Culture
It is symptomatic of BHLive’s lack of real connection with the borough in which they are supposed to manage its largest arts venue that they chose the day of the Croydon local election results to make the announcement of the … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Neil Chandler, Paula Murray, Sadiq Khan, The Wreck, Theatre, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
Tagged Ashcroft Theatre, BHLive, Bournemouth, Chris Symons, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Fairfield Halls, Jason Perry, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
10 Comments
Bafta-winner Scanlan joins calls for new bosses at arts centre
‘Things are far from perfick at the Fairfield ‘Alls’ says the award-winning actress who plays Ma Larkin, as the campaign to sack BHLive gathers momentum. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Joanna Scanlan, the BAFTA award-winning actress, has called on Croydon Council … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Fairfield Halls, Music, The Wreck, Theatre
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Ashcroft Theatre, BAFTA, Borough of Culture, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Fairfield Halls, Joanna Scanlan, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Oliver Lewis, The Larkins
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Council ignored £5m offer to revive Fairfield’s reputation
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Moves to take the management of the troubled arts centre out of the hands of Bournemouth-based BHLive are being resisted by Labour politicians. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Senior officials and the Labour cabinet member in charge of … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Music, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Paula Murray, Shifa Mustafa, Theatre
Tagged BHLive, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Paula Murray, Phoenix Pianos, Shifa Mustafa, Val Shawcross
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The grand scandal at the centre of Fairfield’s absurd saga
Arts correspondent BELLA BARTOCK solves the mystery of the vanishing grand pianos, and discovers more scandal at the council-owned arts venue The Fairfield Halls, following its shambolic and costly refurbishment, is now an arts centre without an art gallery, with … Continue reading
£67m arts centre – with no art gallery and few performances
EXCLUSIVE: The Fairfield Halls fiasco gets worse by the day, with Bournemouth-based venue operators BHLive staging shows on just 24% of available dates. Croydon is supposed to be London’s ‘Borough of Culture’ in 2023… By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon is London’s … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Arnhem Gallery, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Mayor of London, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sadiq Khan, Talawa Theatre Company, The Wreck, Theatre, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, The Wreck, Tony Newman
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‘The damage to the Fairfield Halls reputation is severe’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: While the cash-strapped council remains preoccupied with its finances, the once prestigious arts centre on the other side of Park Lane risks sliding towards cultural oblivion. By our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK There are growing concerns that … Continue reading
Posted in Arnhem Gallery, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, GLL - Better, Mayor of London, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Paula Murray, Sadiq Khan, The Wreck, Theatre, Tony Newman
Tagged Ashcroft Theatre, BHLive, Borough of Culture, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Oliver Lewis, Paula Murray, Sadiq Khan, The Wreck, Tony Newman
13 Comments
Cultural hopes are raised as Talawa and Nick Cave take a bow
Two shows staged at the borough’s major arts centre over the weekend helped to underline how precious the Fairfield Halls should be for Croydon. If only the artistic programme on offer more generally could rise to the local public’s expectations, … Continue reading
Posted in Art, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Fairfield Halls, Music, Talawa Theatre Company, The Wreck
Tagged BHLive, Fairfield Halls, Nick Cave, Talawa Theatre Company, The Wreck
6 Comments
Council has no answers over missing Fairfield Halls sculpture
Croydon’s crass council has been accused of another act of cultural vandalism, after “losing” a significant piece of mid-century street art from the site alongside the “award-winning” (try not to laugh) Fairfield Halls. The art installation, in a modernist, geometric … Continue reading
It’s time to put back the Sparks into Croydon’s Fairfield Halls
For £70m, the Fairfield Halls should be offering a lot more for the community, says KEN TOWL If the Fairfield Halls disappoint, and they do, over and over, it is because they have a lot to live up to. Through … Continue reading
Now it’s the Fairfield Halls fiasco that gets one in the Eye
Britain’s best-selling satirical fortnightly returns to Croydon’s financial woes – and says police should be called in to investigate deals around unfinished arts centre refurbishment While some citizen bloggers claim to try “to emulate Private Eye”, the professional journalists here … Continue reading
Millions of questions for BHLive over Fairfield grant aid
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It’s like nothing has ever changed at the borough’s prestigious arts centre, where tribute acts still dominate its sparse programme, while the venue operators are staying schtum about how they’re spending public money. By our arts correspondent, … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, Neil Chandler, The Wreck
Tagged Arts Council England, Ashcroft Theatre, BHLive, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, The Wreck
5 Comments
Fairfield Halls’ £70m fiasco: ‘BxB didn’t know what it was doing’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Trade newspaper The Stage has described the five-year saga of the Fairfield Halls refurbishment as a ‘catastrophic mess’ and a ‘£70m fiasco’. Now, the centre’s former artistic director has broken his silence over the bungling of Brick … Continue reading
Posted in Arnhem Gallery, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman
Tagged BHLive, Croydon, Croydon Council, Dame Judi Dench, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, The Stage, Tony Newman
17 Comments
Directors Murray and Cheesbrough start exodus from council
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The director of planning and the borough’s culture chief are to leave Fisher’s Folly – the first top-level departures since the council issued its Section 114 notice. By STEVEN DOWNES Heather Cheesbrough, Croydon’s director of planning, and … Continue reading
Posted in Art, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paula Murray, Planning, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Paula Murray, Planning
18 Comments
Council backs down over plans to license 15,000-people rave
Croydon Council has dropped its application for a licence to stage a rave, potentially with as many as 15,000 people, on Purley Way playing fields. The council had submitted the licence application to the local licensing body – Croydon Council … Continue reading
Posted in Addington, Addington Residents' Association, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Crime, Croham Hurst, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Dance, Music, Paula Murray, Purley Way, Waddon
Tagged Addington Park, Addington Village, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paula Murray, Waddon
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Fears grow at Fairfield Halls over operator’s unsigned lease
The Fairfield Halls may be in “hibernation” until next year because of coronavirus, but Croydon Council is now facing another crisis over its ill-fated £43million refurbishment project, with growing fears that the company appointed to manage the arts complex could … Continue reading
Facing uncertain future, Fairfield Halls returns all its pianos
The Fairfield Halls had the removal men in yesterday – taking away the arts venue’s pianos. Inside Croydon understands that the pianos – nine in total, including two grand pianos – have been returned to their makers after the venue … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Music, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Theatre
Tagged BHLive, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Neil Chandler, Phoenix Pianos
7 Comments
Delays, postponements and cancellations become a new art
Croydon’s turn to be London’s Borough of Culture in 2023 remains unchanged. For now. But if they can postpone the Olympic Games, as the Prime Minister of Japan requested today, then anything can fall victim to the effects of the … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023
Tagged Borough of Culture, Croydon, Croydon Council, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor
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Croydon is named London’s ‘Borough of Culture’ for 2023
Croydon has been named London Borough of Culture for 2023. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, announced the decision at City Hall this morning. The “prize” is an additional £1.35million funding from the Mayor towards the borough’s cultural programme. At … Continue reading
Posted in Amy Lamé Limited, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Dance, Fairfield Halls, Mayor of London, Music, Sadiq Khan, Theatre, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon Council, Labour, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman
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