Tag Archives: BHLive

Fairfield Halls rocked as Higgins leaves artistic director role

Posted on August 16, 2023 by insidecroydon

The Fairfield Halls, Croydon’s cultural centre, is seeking its fourth artistic director in little more than three years, after it was announced today that Jonathan Higgins is leaving to take a position at another venue in Newcastle. Higgins moved to … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Jon Workman, Jonathan Higgins | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fairfield Halls struggling to sell tickets for Culture opener

Posted on March 27, 2023 by insidecroydon

Our veteran arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on the council-owned arts centre’s struggle to win back its old audiences There’s mounting, and justifiable, concern that the Fairfield Halls, despite the best-efforts of its new-ish operators, are failing to win back audiences … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Improvement Board, Music, Neil Chandler, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Turmoil at Fairfield Halls as operating company suffers exodus

Posted on November 1, 2022 by insidecroydon

Our culture correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on changing times at the council-owned arts centre, and a diamond anniversary that has been forgotten by the council There’s yet more turmoil behind the scenes at the Fairfield Halls, where the chief executive and … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jon Workman, Mayor Jason Perry, Music, The Wreck, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

ENO’s revolutionary £5 tickets for La Bohème at Fairfield

Posted on July 15, 2022 by insidecroydon

The English National Opera chose Bastille Day to announce some revolutionary ticket pricing for a special, one-off performance of La Bohème at the Fairfield Halls next month. Tickets are just £5 (plus a £1 booking fee) for the ENO’s performance … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Jonathan Higgins, Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mayor has weeks to save Fairfield Halls and Borough of Culture

Posted on June 2, 2022 by insidecroydon

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Council ignored £5m offer to revive Fairfield’s reputation

Posted on April 22, 2022 by insidecroydon

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 , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Choir demands compensation over BHLive’s Fairfield shambles

Posted on April 20, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: BHLive, the under-fire operators of the council-owned arts complex, have been accused of costing one of the borough’s top arts groups thousands of pounds because of their poor management of the prestige venue. By our arts correspondent, … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon Philharmonic Choir, Fairfield Halls, Music, Oliver Lewis, Theatre, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The grand scandal at the centre of Fairfield’s absurd saga

Posted on April 3, 2022 by insidecroydon

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 →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Croydon Philharmonic Choir, Fairfield Halls, Music, The Wreck | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Lewis is given another £1.3m to spend on Fairfield Halls

Posted on January 31, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Somehow, our cash-strapped council has managed to find a spare million to hand to the under-performing operators of the town centre’s arts venue, thanks to the recommendation of a new employee of The Campaign Company. EXCLUSIVE By … Continue reading →

Posted in BH Live, Croydon Council, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

BHLive’s business losses hit Fairfield Halls’ arts programme

Posted on October 22, 2021 by insidecroydon

The lack of activity in and around the Fairfield Halls and the return to the “bad old days” of tired programming dominated by derivative tribute acts and all-star wrestling is all because not enough people in Dorset are paying for … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

‘The damage to the Fairfield Halls reputation is severe’

Posted on September 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Cultural hopes are raised as Talawa and Nick Cave take a bow

Posted on September 7, 2021 by insidecroydon

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 , , , , | 6 Comments

It’s time to put back the Sparks into Croydon’s Fairfield Halls

Posted on August 13, 2021 by insidecroydon

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 →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Fairfield Halls, Music, Savvy Theatre Company, Talawa Theatre Company | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

The Fairfield Halls Community Choir is seeking a new home

Posted on August 7, 2021 by insidecroydon

By VERONA CHARD Prior to Lockdown, I ran the Fairfield Halls Community Choir “plus sessions”, I had created for toddlers and babies called “Donkey Dots For Tots”, plus a monthly musical balloon band prom for families. But I’ve been told … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Millions of questions for BHLive over Fairfield grant aid

Posted on July 29, 2021 by insidecroydon

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 , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fairfield Halls’ £70m fiasco: ‘BxB didn’t know what it was doing’

Posted on July 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

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 , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Arts Council refuses to investigate job losses at Fairfield Halls

Posted on November 24, 2020 by insidecroydon

Arts correspondent BELLA BARTOCK on the mounting scandal at the council-owned arts venue, where fears grow that it might never reopen The Arts Council has told Inside Croydon that they are powerless to intervene after BHLive, the social enterprise appointed … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Theatre | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

BHLive laid off Halls staff just days after receiving £2.5m grant

Posted on November 21, 2020 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on the mounting scandal surrounding the operating company in charge of the Fairfield Halls Within days of being awarded a £2.5million government grant intended to help the arts venues that they operate through the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BH Live, Fairfield Halls | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Fairfield Halls operators get £2.5m Arts Council covid grant

Posted on October 26, 2020 by insidecroydon

BELLA BARTOCK, our socially distanced arts correspondent, on a mystery surrounding a massive government recovery grant BHLive, the operator who runs the Fairfield Halls on behalf of Croydon Council, has received a £2.5million grant under the government’s Culture Recovery Fund … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Theatre | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

BHLive starts redundancy process for staff at Fairfield Halls

Posted on August 6, 2020 by insidecroydon

There have been unconfirmed reports that BHLive, the Bournemouth-based operators in charge of running the council-owned Fairfield Halls, have this week begun making their full-time employees in Croydon redundant. According to BHLive insiders, the move could see the Fairfield Halls … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Oliver Lewis | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Facing uncertain future, Fairfield Halls returns all its pianos

Posted on June 3, 2020 by insidecroydon

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 , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Culture deals with covid-19 without making a song and dance

Posted on March 24, 2020 by insidecroydon

The sense of doom and gloom caused by the covid-19 pandemic had well and truly taken hold of London by the middle of last week. There was a dark humour about the place reflected by the public address system at … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Cinema, Croydon Bach Choir, Croydon Male Voice Choir, Croydon Philharmonic Choir, David Lean Cinema Campaign, Fairfield Halls, Music, Talawa Theatre Company, Theatre, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Seconds out: Operator hopes wrestling will boost Fairfield Halls

Posted on February 20, 2020 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: The art venue’s director quit in a dispute over dumbing down of its programme in a bid to boost ticket sales, reports BELLA BARTOCK, who has discovered that BHLive are recruiting for Neil Chandler’s replacement, but offering a lesser … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, Music, Neil Chandler, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Fairfield Halls needs to be more London, and less Bournemouth

Posted on February 19, 2020 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Could Brit Awards-winner Stormzy help to save the Fairfield Halls? Following Inside Croydon’s exclusive news report yesterday that Neil  Chandler, the venue’s artistic director, had quit amid growing concerns about poor audiences in the first six months since … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Music, Neil Chandler, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Newman fails to deny that Fairfield Halls bill has reached £60m

Posted on January 28, 2020 by insidecroydon

The refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls could end up costing Croydon’s Council Tax-payers £60million – or even more. And there are fears within the town’s arts circles that BH Live, the events and management firm brought in by venue owners … Continue reading →

Posted in Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Paula Murray, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments