Southampton City Council and partners are pleased to be working with The Mayflower Theatre Trust as the potential operator of the Studio 144 building.
This follows Nuffield Southampton Theatres going into administration in the Spring, and the subsequent search for a sustainable solution for the city which supports our cultural ambitions.
All applications were carefully considered against pre-set evaluation criteria, agreed between key stakeholders and used in the assessment rounds. We greatly appreciate each applicant’s interest in Southampton and the work they undertook to go through the evaluation process.
The next stage requires further detailed discussion by all parties and remains confidential at this time. A formal announcement will be made in due course, however this a hugely positive step forward for Southampton.
Councillor Kaur, Cabinet Member for Homes and Culture at Southampton City Council, said: “Having gone through the process of reviewing applications, we’re delighted to be working with Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre. At the heart of our ambition is the desire to find a sustainable cultural solution that benefits our communities and the city, and we believe that the Mayflower Theatre provides that opportunity. We would like to thank the other applicants for their interest in Southampton, and look forward to making future announcements.”
Phil Gibby Area Director, South West, Arts Council England said: “We are extremely pleased that an applicant has emerged from the Southampton City Council process to find an operator for Studio 144. We look forward to continuing to work with Southampton City Council as part of our ongoing commitment to arts and culture in the city, as well as engaging with The Mayflower Theatre Trust in further conversations. Arts Council have ringfenced up to £1.9 million of funding which we are committed to investing in exciting, high quality work that will benefit communities in Southampton, in line with our vision in Let’s Create.”
Michael Ockwell, Chief Executive of The Mayflower Theatre Trust said: “Mayflower Theatre look forward to discussing our proposal, which is to develop a creative hub that puts the community at the very heart of its operation, in detail with Southampton City Council and Arts Council England, with the aim to reopen Studio 144 in the near future.”