Derby Arts and Theatre Association DATA
Membership News

DATA have enthusiastically welcomed the news, announced by Derby City Council on 1st November 2023, that the £20 million Levelling Up Fund grant will be diverted to the repair and refurbishment of the Guildhall and improvements to the existing Derby Theatre.

The grant was originally intended to go to ‘Assemble’, a project that would have seen the Derby Theatre at the Derbion Centre close and be replaced by a new theatre on the Assembly Rooms site. But the increased cost of that project has made it unviable.

It is understood that the money will be used to ensure that between the Guildhall Theatre and Derby Theatre there will be a joint capacity of 950 seats - with potentially 350 at the Guildhall Theatre, where the capacity is currently 244, and 600 at Derby Theatre, which has a current limit of 535 seats.

The Guildhall was previously the performance venue used by a number of amateur theatre groups and dance schools and its closure in 2019 forced companies to look for alternative venues including some as far afield as Long Eaton, Repton and Chesterfield.

DATA have been campaigning continually for the reopening of the Guildhall ever since its closure. Our chair - Steve Dunning - has been in regular contact with the Derby City Council and met the Leader and Deputy Leader in June to press the case in person. Our thanks go especially to Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Deputy Leader, for her efforts to get the Government to allow the £20 million grant to be repurposed.

We now look forward to working in partnership with the Council on the design of the Guildhall refurbishment scheme and have resubmitted our ‘wish list’ for improvements originally drawn up in 2021.

On behalf of Derby Theatre, DATA would like to encourage entries in the new Eagle Awards category for youth productions. To enter in this category, 80% of the company must be under 18. Unfortunately, schools cannot be included in this category.

To enter please complete and send in this entry form. Entries must be sent in FOUR weeks before opening night.

Dear DATA Members

I circulated a full report for the DATA Annual General Meeting on 18 October 2022 so, for this bulletin, I'm going to tell you about the latest developments on the key issues we've been dealing with on your behalf.

The Guildhall Theatre, Derby

The Guildhall Theatre has been closed since January 2019 and this issue has been our main focus since then. The eleven amateur companies, plus dance studios, who used to hire the Guildhall have faced major problems finding alternative venues – including locations in Repton, Long Eaton and Chesterfield – and, in one or two cases, this has threatened their future viability.

The Council's position is that they are taking an holistic view of the repair and refurbishment of the building and that feasibility studies are in progress. These studies include looking into using adjoining buildings which are in the Council's ownership. However, funding will be a challenge and it is likely that the Council will be seeking grants from appropriate bodies. DATA has submitted its wish list of improvements including moving the bar to the adjoining building which would make the existing bar area available for additional dressing-room and storage purposes.

In July 2022, we conducted a short survey to ascertain the interest from amateur groups in using the Guildhall if and when it reopens. Of the thirteen groups who responded, twelve said they were either likely or very likely to use the venue.

On your behalf, DATA has continued to press Derby City Council for a commitment to reopen the Guildhall as soon as possible. Our main challenge has been a lack of helpful communication from the Council about its intentions and so, in July 2022, we submitted a Freedom of Information request for details of the Guildhall scheme. The Council missed two statutory deadlines for the supply of the information and finally sent us its response on 2nd December!

The response contains the following statements:

“The options are conceptual/not finalised and will need to be considered by the Council Cabinet in March 2023.”

“Funding options for the project are to be developed and will form part of the cabinet report, which is yet to be concluded. It is likely that any works will be fully council funded unless external funding opportunities are identified and successfully bid for to reduce the burden on council funds. At the time of writing this response, no external funding opportunities contribute to the project.”

It is clear from these statements that the future of the Guildhall is far from certain so I have had a meeting with the Councillor Jonathan Smale, who is the new Cabinet Member with responsibility for Culture, to open dialogue and to get an assurance that a report will go to the March 2023 Cabinet meeting with firm proposals to repair, refurbish and reopen the Guildhall. Councillor Smale acknowledged that the communication about the Guildhall had not been acceptable. He assured me that he would chase up the progress of the proposed report and come back to me with an update by the first week in January. He did say that the estimates for the remedial works at the Guildhall ran into many millions, which is not a surprise, and that a number of options were being looked at.

Rest assured that DATA will continue to pursue the Guildhall issue vigorously in the New Year.

Possible Relocation of Derby Theatre to Derby Assembly Rooms Site

As you will have seen in the media, there is a proposal to relocate the Derby Theatre from the Derbion Centre to the Assembly Rooms site. The Eagle Market is to be closed and the owners of the Derbion Centre have published plans for their own development to improve public access from the bus station, build a new entrance to Derbion on East Street, add additional shops and leisure outlets and create a new public boulevard. Derby City Council have said in an email to me that “The proposed development of a new theatre on part of the site of the Assembly Rooms complex (incl. the Multi Storey Car Park) is currently the subject of a bid to Government for £20M from its Levelling Up Fund. The Government has stated that an announcement of funding awards will be ‘in the Autumn’. So far we have not received any notifications whether we have been successful.”

A report to the Council Cabinet on the Levelling up Fund bid on 5 July 2022 shows that the Levelling Up bid covers three projects:

• ‘Assemble’ (New Learning Theatre), Assembly Rooms site
• New Hotel, Becketwell
• Friar Gate Goods Yard and Bridge.

We will monitor the situation but we acknowledge that there must be a risk that this project may not go ahead if the Levelling Up Fund bid is unsuccessful.

And finally …

The lack of suitable performance venues continues to detrimentally affect the cultural offer of the city and, therefore, the amateur community. I congratulate our corporate members for your ingenuity in finding imaginative solutions to the problem. Our music and concert groups seem to have had success in utilising local churches for their performances and this is an excellent example of finding good ways to keep going.

The amount of talent and creativity amongst our members never ceases to amaze me and makes me very proud to lead an organisation which strives to help us work together for the benefit of all. The efforts of you all - on and off stage and especially those on your management committees - are very much appreciated.

I encourage you to use the DATA Diary to publicise your events - it's part of your membership benefits at no extra cost!

Don't forget, DATA is your Association; if you have any views or suggestions, please get in touch.

Please circulate a link to this bulletin on our website to your members so that as many people as possible are kept informed.

With all good wishes for the festive season and for your future productions.

Steve Dunning
Chair, Derby Arts and Theatre Association (DATA)
chair@derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk
December 2022

The DATA AGM of 2022 took place on 18th October 2022. The main topic of Steve Dunning's annual report as DATA Chair, was DATA's lobbying of Derby City Council to repopen the Guildhall as soon as possible. His report also included the latest status in respect of Derby Assembly Rooms and the Becketwell Arena development, the design of which incorporates a smaller performance space, though details of this are yet to be revealed.

On other, non-venue related, topics, Steve reminded the AGM of the DATA Diary service and reported on the future plans for the Eagle Awards. Why not download the Chair's report to the 2022 DATA AGM and read it in full?

The Annual General Meeting of DATA will take place on Tuesday 18th October 2022 at 7.00pm at Shakespeare House, Kedleston Road, Derby. This will be the first AGM for three years, because of Covid, so we hope for a good turnout. The agenda and reports will be sent out nearer the date.

Because of Covid, we suspended subscriptions in 2020 and 2021, but we now feel that, as most companies have resumed their performances, it is the right time to start collecting them again. The subscription is £5 for two years and must be paid if your member society is to continue to publicise its events via the DATA Diary under the terms of the Diary Scheme.

We will be grateful if member societies can pay their subscription of £5 at their earliest convenience. Letters have been emailed to our Treasurer contacts within our member societies requesting payment, along with details of how to pay but if you believe your member society has not received this due to out of date contact details then please email admin@derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk for further information.

DATA has been lobbying Derby City Council for information and action on the re- opening of the Guildhall Theatre ever since its closure for repairs in January 2019. Prior to that date, the Guildhall had been used by many amateur groups for their productions. We have been informed that the Council want to take a holistic view of how a refurbished Guildhall could/should fit into the cultural offer of the Market Place area. One senior councillor told us that the reopening was unlikely before 2025.

In the meantime, amateur groups who previously used the Guildhall have either found alternative venues or, sadly, ceased operating. DATA would like to press the Council more vigorously for information but, before we do, we need to know the extent of the interest in hiring the Guildhall when it reopens. We would therefore be grateful if you would anonymously complete this very short questionnaire . We are not asking for a firm commitment, just an indication of your thinking.

Dear Friends

It is an understatement to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has been challenging for local amateur theatre and music groups. Productions and concerts had to be cancelled or postponed from March 2020, in some cases even as they were very close to actual performance. Some groups were able to continue with online rehearsals and performances whilst others decided to suspend operations. We missed not only performing but also the fellowship of meeting at rehearsals to act, sing or play our instruments together, and to socialise.

It is fantastic that groups are now restarting and some performances have already happened. But it is a sobering reality that many members of our traditional audiences – even though fully inoculated – do not yet feel safe enough to go into a theatre, church or concert hall. It will take time for this to sort itself out. Getting bums on seats has always been a challenge – especially for those companies whose production budgets rely on 80%+ attendance – and Covid-19 has only made this worse.

But we remain positive and look forward to continuing to put on the top class performances that audiences have come to expect from the amateur sector in the Derby area.

I am afraid that news about the future of the Guildhall Theatre, Derby does not improve with time. Unfortunately the Council's position remains that they are taking an holistic view of the repair and refurbishment of the building and that feasibility studies are in progress. These studies include looking into using adjoining buildings which are in the Council's ownership. However, funding will be a challenge and it is likely that the Council will be seeking grants from appropriate bodies. DATA has submitted its wish list of improvements including moving the bar to the adjoining building which would make the existing bar area available for additional dressing-room and storage purposes.

On your behalf, DATA has continued to press Derby City Council for a commitment to reopen the Guildhall as soon as possible. When I asked Councillor Ross McCristal, the Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, for a timescale, his response was: “In my opinion it is unlikely to reopen before 2025 but everything possible will be done to reopen the Guildhall as soon as possible inline with our aspirational vision for the Guildhall.”

Whilst the situation with regard to the Guildhall is very disappointing, one positive aspect is that the Council has fulfilled its promise to provide a Temporary Performance Area in the Market Place. At least two DATA member societies have used the facility and this has helped to maintain their presence and profile in the city.

You will have seen in the media that Derby City Council have obtained planning permission to demolish the Assembly Rooms and are in discussions with the University of Derby over the possibility of building a replacement for Derby Theatre on the site. Yes that means yet another feasibility study by consultants but, if the project actually happens (some may say that's a big 'if') then a new theatre plus a refurbished Guildhall would potentially transform not only the Market Place but also the whole of the Cathedral Quarter. We await further developments with interest but we're not holding our breath!

One project which does seem to be progressing is the proposed Becketwell Arena on the old Debenhams / Duckworth Square site. This is a joint development by Derby City Council and St James Securities for various uses including a 3,500 capacity arena located on the site of the former Pennine Hotel, Pink Coconut nightclub and Laurie House offices. The arena design also incorporates a smaller performance space but details of this are yet to be revealed. Planning permission has been granted and ASM Global has been selected to manage the venue.

Another item of positive news is that Derby has been long-listed to be City of Culture in 2025 together with seven other cities. Given the long-term closure of the Guildhall and the Assembly Rooms, one could be forgiven for viewing this with a degree of amused skepticism. However, if Derby is successful, it would result in a huge increase in investment and profile for the cultural scene in the city and this would provide great opportunities for amateurs to participate and benefit. DATA is therefore fully supporting the City of Culture bid. The Bid Director is Adam Buss who many of you will know has supported amateur theatre by compering the annual Eagle Awards ceremony.

Speaking of the Eagle Awards, Cheryl Mitchell of Derby Theatre tells me that the plan is that “judging will not be returning until June 2022. This is to ensure a fair and level playing field for all companies as not everyone has been able to produce a show for the 21/22 season. Therefore, we are hoping that a return to normal will be expected ready for the 22/23 season and we can start accepting entries in June 2022.”

Do please continue to submit your organisation's productions for inclusion in the DATA Diary. It is a free service as part of your very reasonable membership subscription. You can either do this yourself online by logging into the Diary system, or submit details to our DATA Diary Administrator – Dave Williamson – at admin@derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk The monthly Diary email has a wide circulation and events are simultaneously posted on the DATA Facebook page and Twitter feed for sharing through social media channels. Overall it's a very cost-effective and simple marketing tool.

Finally, may I wish all a very happy festive season and all good fortune for your future ventures.

Steve Dunning
Chair
Derby Arts and Theatre Association (DATA)

New Opera Company, Derby is seeking to appoint a Musical Director following the retirement in June 2020 of Miss Margaret Slater who has conducted and guided the Company very successfully for many years.

Formed in 1959, New Opera Company, Derby is an enthusiastic and friendly group of singers with the aim to provide opportunities for all persons to enjoy singing or performing grand opera or operetta locally, either on stage or in concerts. The company rehearses in St Augustine’s Community Centre, at Normanton Library, Derby on Wednesday evenings and performs at venues in Derby or in Derbyshire and neighbouring counties.

The Company now presents four concert performances in the summer and two in the winter at varied venues attracting enthusiastic audiences. Recent programmes have included excerpts from: The Marriage of Figaro, The Bartered Bride, Merrie England, West Side Story and The Phantom of the Opera. We have a regular, well qualified accompanist and a deputy when needed.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate an excellent conducting and rehearsal technique, including the ability to lead and, critically, to develop the skills of a group with varied singing abilities and experiences. Candidates should have a wide knowledge of suitable repertoire including Opera, Operetta and Musical Theatre and be willing to share in selecting concert programmes. The post requires good personal skills for maintaining a co-operative, encouraging, working environment, with all in the company including, the Music Committee and the Accompanist.

We are seeking to appoint someone with plenty of enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to share in our ambition for the company to grow by attracting new members, especially younger singers. For more details or an application form please contact the above email address or telephone number. At a later stage selected applicants will be invited to conduct a Wednesday evening rehearsal.

Contact us for further information via email to newoperacompany@hotmail.com or on telephone number 01332 557096.

A new performance venue has become available in Derby Market Place that has the potential to be used for events staged by DATA members. This opportunity has been created by Derby City Council's Derby Market Place project.

The marquee venue, which opens with performances on 26^th June, will have a maximum seating capacity of 300 (though, of course, this will be reduced whilst social distancing measures remain). The venue will have a wide range of events, including classical concerts, comedy, musical theatre performances, a beer festival, jazz gigs, corporate events, markets, virtual reality experiences and more! These will run through to the end of the year, when the venue and city centre move into  Festive Derby  mode.

You can find more details on the Derby Market Place website.

Several local companies will be staging concert performances in the venue (which will have stage, sound and lighting facilities) during October, and there are opportunities for DATA member organisations to be involved if they have suitable shows. A "standard" package deal (with further options, depending on requirements) has been worked out, to enable local performance companies to use the space on a "low-risk" basis. Should any companies wish to discuss this further, please contact Bob Rushton (who some will know from Derby LIVE / Guildhall Theatre) on dmp@bobonarts.co.uk

Derby City Council have terminated the project to refurbish the Assembly Rooms, and said that the Guildhall Theatre will be closed for an extended period while a holistic view is taken of all of the repairs needed to the building, including the roof. The Guildhall closure has caused major financial and logistical problems to a number of amateur groups who have had to either cancel productions or relocate them to other venues, in some cases outside the city e.g. Repton and Long Eaton. Indeed, there are amateur companies who are in such great financial difficulties that they could fold.

Given these circumstances, DATA have been lobbying the Council hard for a temporary performance venue close to the city centre. We are pleased to report that, on Monday 2nd March, the Leader of the Council (Councillor Chris Poulter) announced that a temporary performance venue will be provided on the Market Place while the Assembly Rooms remain closed. We have also received a personal assurance from Councillor Poulter that we will be invited to a meeting in a few weeks when further details of the project will be shared.

This demonstrates the value of amateur theatre and music groups working together, through DATA, for our common good.

On 25th September 2019 DATA received the following update on the Guildhall closure from Derby City Council:

In the light of new survey findings Derby's Guildhall Theatre will remain closed for an extended period of time.

Following planned work to the auditorium ceiling last year, problems were found which led to the eventual closure in January 2019 due to safety concerns. Initially it was hoped that the venue would be re-opened later this year.

As the project has progressed, contractors were able to undertake more extensive surveys. Earlier this month findings of the surveys show that the condition of the fabric of the building is much worse than previously thought and is beyond the original scope of work.

During this period, the Council has also been exploring all the available options to put in position temporary measures to make the building safe to open. Despite our best efforts all the measures considered would put at risk the historic infrastructure and require Listed Building Consent and are not viable.

The Christmas show, The Christmas Toy shop Mystery, will be cancelled and all customers will be refunded in full. To further compensate customers we’ll be offering a special discount for Peter Pan, the pantomime at Derby Arena this Christmas.

The Council has decided to take this opportunity to undertake an holistic review of the building to determine what is required to ensure the Guildhall Theatre’s long term future. It will look to complete the review of the building by the end of the year and a new programme of work is being drawn up.

Councillor Matthew Holmes, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council, said:

“This has been an immensely frustrating situation for us all as each step in the repair process has led to the discovery of additional issues.

It is, of course, disappointing that we can’t re-open for Christmas but this is now the right time to take a breath and rather than just repair the ceiling, we need to consider what else we need to do to be able to restore this vital historic building properly.”

Derby City Council

DATA received an update on 23rd September 2019 concerning the planned Assembly Rooms works as follows:

Derby City Council will begin the next phase of work on the new and improved Assembly Rooms after planners approved designs. It has also renewed its commitment to delivering the venue at the agreed budget of £24m.

This major investment will be key to a vibrant city centre. It aligns with the key priority of Derby’s City Centre Masterplan 2030, complementing a mix of retail, leisure with accommodation developments across the city as part of the council’s plans to boost future investment into Derby.

Following a review over the summer a revised programme has been presented to the Council with a scheduled completion of works in November 2021. A contractor has been appointed and will be on-site in November to begin initial works including the removal of asbestos.

Perfect Circle, which was appointed to design the new Assembly Rooms, previously advised that the project could be completed by autumn 2020.

However over the summer, Perfect Circle presented a much longer project timeline. On receipt of this information, the Council asked that an independent review of the project was undertaken by specialist external consultants.

A new external project manager had been appointed and Derby City Council has worked robustly with Perfect Circle on a new project timeline for this complex project.

Councillor Matthew Holmes, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council, said:

"Obtaining planning consent is an important milestone for this project and I’m delighted that the first contractors will be on site as soon as next month.”

“We are committed to getting the new improved Assembly Rooms open as the Council’s number one city centre priority. We are working collaboratively with project partners to ensure that everything practicably possible will be done to see the venue open as soon as possible.

“As a consequence of our robust intervention into this project, I am confident that the new and improved Assembly Rooms will be delivered and act as a catalyst for the continued regeneration of Derby. The benefits for our local economy and businesses will be significant as well as offering a superb conference and events venue for residents and visitors to enjoy a varied and exciting programme for many years to come.”

Derby City Council

DATA has been campaigning for some time to get the Guildhall Theatre reopened, after essential roof repairs are completed, at the earliest opportunity. A member of the DATA Committee - Tom Banks - asked the following question at the Derby City Council meeting on Wednesday 24th July:

"What is the timescale to complete the repairs to the roof of the Guildhall Theatre and will the Cabinet Member give an assurance that the Guildhall Theatre will reopen after these repairs are completed?"

The answer given by Councillor Matthew Holms, the Deputy Leader of the Council was:

"The council's contractor and consultant teams continue to undertake structural investigations and remedial works with the aim of completing repairs as soon as possible to allow the venue to reopen."

Tom was allowed to ask a supplementary question, which was:

"Is the Cabinet Member aware of the considerable disruption, inconvenience and cost to amateur theatre companies affected by the extended closure, some of which have transferred their productions to theatres outside the city, and what assistance will be offered to encourage previous users of the Guildhall Theatre to return?"

Councillor Holmes said that the second question was outside of his remit and should be directed to Councillor Robin Wood, the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture. Tom intends to contact Councillor Wood in the next few days.

Tom also has a monthly slot on BBC Radio Derby to talk about amateur theatre and he raised our concerns there earlier in the week. There was also an item on the Radio Derby news on Friday morning.

DATA understands the need for the Guildhall to be made safe for performers and audiences, but we will continue to press the Council for this essential facility to be reopened as soon as possible.

Derby Live has notified DATA that it is not yet in a position to confirm that the Guildhall Theatre will re-open after September. It had been hoped that this would be confirmed during May but due to further investigative work being required it now looks likely that it will be the end of June at the earliest before it can be confirmed when the venue will re-open.

At this stage this is not yet confirmation that the re-opening of the Guildhall Theatre will be delayed. However, Derby Live recognise that this now mean that for many companies, an Autumn production in the Guildhall Theatre will not be an option.

A future update is promised as soon as there is any clearer information. In the meantime, Derby Live would be very grateful if companies with pencilled-in Autumn bookings could indicate whether they wish to retain those bookings or release them. If companies have already made alternative plans could they let Derby Live know so that they can share that information wherever possible.

DATA continues to be in close communication with Derby Live about this matter, both to represent our members' views and also to ensure as timely communication as possible.

The DATA AGM will take place on Tuesday 9th July at 7.30pm. We're delighted to announce that it will be held at the former Derby Central Library, The Wardwick, at the kind invitation of Derby Museums and that the AGM will be followed by a tour of the building’s performance spaces.

DATA representatives attended a meeting on the plans to repopen the Assembly Rooms at the Derby City Council building on 15th May 2019. This was at the invitation of the DCC who wished to update DATA on the architectural proposals and seek DATA input on them.

Representatives of the DCC project management as well as the lead and architect from the subcontractor attended and gave a detailed walkthrough of the architectural proposals. DATA was well represented, particularly thanks to attendance from a number of experienced stage managers drawn from our membership.

The meeting was again cordial and constructive. DATA representatives were able give a number of inputs from the perspective of staging productions in the Assembly Rooms. These were gratefully received but of course all confirmed plans will be subject to budgetary constraints and planning permission.

The Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust has launched a Crowdfunding Campaign to raise funds for stage one of meeting its objectives to:

• Restore an historic Grade 2 public building (in 2 phases)
• Create an exciting new entertainment venue & community hub
• Create new jobs in an enhanced Derby cultural sector, complementing existing venues
• Provide a large boost to St Peter's Quarter regeneration, creating a vibrant evening atmosphere

This 2019 Crowdfunding Campaign will raise the money to make an even bigger grant application, backed by a host of "experts" to back the restoration trust's proposals. This is stage one of a "domino run" project that all starts with THIS crowdfunding campaign.

You can find the Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust's Crowdfunding page at crowdfunder.co.uk/derbyhippodromerestoration . Here is a a message from Gwen Taylor, patron of the trust.

Other Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust Links:

   

Derby City Council has announced that the Guildhall Theatre, Derby will be closed temporarily for essential repairs to the roof. The closure was originally to have been to 31st January but this has now been extended to 30th September 2019, subject to a review in May. About 60 amateur and professional bookings will be affected.

This is a major blow for the amateur theatre groups who have shows booked in the Guildhall during the period of closure. It is also another setback for the cultural offer of Derby, given that the Assembly Rooms has now been closed for almost five years, and that venue is not expected to reopen until Autumn 2020 at the earliest.

Derby Arts and Theatre Association (DATA) represents a number of the amateur groups affected by the Guildhall closure and an urgent meeting with affected amateur organisations was held on 25 January to share concerns, issues and ideas and provide a forum for mutual support. The meeting agreed a number of actions to try to ameliorate the serious repercussions of the closure on amateur companies. A request has been made for a delegation from DATA to meet Councillor Alan Grimadell, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, and Peter Ireson, Head of Derby Live to raise some specific areas of concern.

Derby Arts and Theatre Association (DATA) has given a cautious welcome to Derby City Council's recently announced proposals to reopen the Assembly Rooms which have been closed since a fire in March 2014. The Council's Cabinet approved a report on 12th December 2018 which recommended refurbishing the Assembly Rooms and reopening the building by Autumn 2020.

DATA Chair, Steve Dunning, said:

"Although we would have preferred to have a brand new theatre and concert hall built, we are pleased now to see firm proposals to not only repair but also enhance the Assembly Rooms. As part of the consultation process, DATA made several practical suggestions for improving the facilities and audience experience, based on our members' experience of putting on shows and concerts at the venue. We are glad to see that many of our suggestions have been taken on board.

Of course, the devil will be in the detail and we look forward to futher input into the development of the project. We are especially keen that the operating arrangements and hire charges provide an incentive to amateur theatre and concert groups to use the newly refurbished venue."

Further information on the scheme can be found via these links:
Next steps for Derby's Assembly Rooms revealed
Council Cabinet 12th December 2018 - The New Assembly Rooms

We have implemented the automatic posting of event details from the DATA Diary to the DATA Facebook page. This follows the implementation of automatic Tweets from the DATA Diary from 15th September.

Events on the DATA Diary website are now automatically publicised via Twitter, Facebook and a monthly email bulletin - all from the same source information that members can upload to the website themselves by registering a user account with us.

We have been made aware that the European Union (EU) is proposing, in its Eco-design Working Plan 2016-2019, to change the rules that govern the light sources used in theatrical productions. In effect, they want to bring the vast majority of quality theatre lights under the same rules that govern domestic and office and industrial lighting. These new regulations are intended to start from 1 September 2020 and if implemented as originally written, would dramatically impact all areas of entertainment lighting and all who work in this field – lighting creators, lighting users and lighting manufacturers. The impact on theatrical production across Europe will be immediate, and overwhelming, and will affect venues used by amateurs.

The Association of Lighting Designers has produced a lot of information about this issue. In particular, it has summarised the effect of the original proposals as follows:

1. New regulations proposed for September 2020 will impose a minimum efficiency of 85 lumens per watt and a maximum standby power of 0.5W on all light sources (lamps or self-contained fixtures) to be sold in the EU.


2. The existing version of these regulations includes an exemption for stage lighting. The new regulations do not (though they do include exemptions for video projection, and suggest an exemption for stage lighting that appears to have mis-understood the light levels/power requirements of most theatrical lighting fixtures).


3. No tungsten fixtures meet this requirement. Many LED-based entertainment fixtures do not meet those requirements. After September 2020 no new stocks of such equipment can be supplied to the market in the EU.


4. Manufacturers suggest that the limits of optical design and LED efficiency mean that they will not be able to create certain types of fixtures that do meet the requirements by September 2020.


5. Nothing in the rules stops you from using existing fixtures. But bulbs can’t be supplied to market and once you can’t get new bulbs, existing fixtures become worthless - effectively scrap. It is unknown how long existing stocks of bulbs will remain available.


6. Replacing your existing fixtures might well mean replacing your entire dimming and control infrastructure.


7. All this for power savings that might be relatively small, given the way entertainment lighting is typically used, and will likely be far outweighed by the scrap created and the energy required to manufacture and distribute new fixtures.


8. Important tools from a lighting designer’s toolkit will be lost within the EU, some forever.


9. This will dramatically affect performance venues and productions of all types and scales, including new and existing (long-running, long-standing rep) productions.


10. There are very few precedents for technologies to be banned if they are not unsafe to use.

We understand that, as a result of discussions between the industry and the EU DG Energy Department, a new draft of the regulations, including an exemption for the entertainment industry, has been prepared. On behalf of DATA, I have written to all of the East Midlands MEPs seeking their support to ensure that the new regulations, when they come before the European Parliament, contain the necessary safeguards for theatres and concert halls.