Grassroots venue submits bid to reopen theatre

The owners of a grassroots music venue have submitted a bid to take over a theatre in Surrey that closed in April after recording losses of £250,000.

The Boileroom Guildford Community Interest Company (CIC) has run the town's Boileroom venue for more than 20 years, and now believes it can save the Electric Theatre.

A spokesperson said: "We want the Electric Theatre to once again stand as a dynamic space for new generations of voices, art forms, and audiences and the generations to come."

Guildford Borough Council, which owns the building, said: "We've had numerous expressions of interest submitted to us but at this stage we're actively listening to our community."

The Boileroom Guildford CIC said it wants to "renew and elevate the Electric Theatre's role in Guildford's cultural landscape".

It is planing a year-round programme of both professional touring events and community-led projects.

The theatre will also be used for rehearsals, workshops and exhibitions, and its potential new owners promise regular stakeholder engagement to ensure "accountability and responsiveness to local needs".

They added: "We will ensure that programming, building use and operations reflect diversity, accessibility, creativity and sustainability."

The borough council said it was "absolutely delighted" by the level of interest it had received from groups hoping to run the theatre.

"It's clear that this much-loved venue continues to hold a special place in the hearts of our community, and we welcome the enthusiasm and ideas being shared," a spokesperson said.

"Today we're launching our community survey and will be holding several pop-up events around Guildford in the coming weeks."

Stakeholders will meet in January to discuss the ideas that have been submitted.

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