Town to get 'economic boost' as plans to transform Octagon move forward
A £23-million transformation of Yeovil’s Octagon theatre has moved forwards today – just hours after The Chancellor pledged £10 million towards the scheme.
Last updated 4th Mar 2021
South Somerset District Councillors met at 9.30am to discuss the plans – and underwriting the cost – which would see any money lent repaid through a £1 levy on future ticket sales.
The Chancellor announced money for the Somerset venue as part of his support for the struggling arts sector in yesterday’s budget.
Adam Burgan, arts and entertainment manager for South Somerset Council, says he’s not surprised Rishi Sunak is investing in the sector.
He said: “When you put funding into the arts - it’s great that the Chancellor has recognised this – you get a double whammy because the arts bring a lot to health and wellbeing.
“If we think our fitness and mental wellbeing and just making sense of what’s happened. If we took music and theatre and film things from our lives it would be very bleak.
“It really is storytelling which is an essential part of being human. It’ something that we’ve always done to make sense and understand what we’re going through and also to cheer ourselves up and express ourselves.
“On a wellbeing side of things and especially at the moment we all need cheering up, we all need support for our mental health an wellbeing so those things are really key.
“But also with the arts as well you get the economic boost, so for the Octagon Project for example, they’re estimating that the return to the town would be about £9 million per year in terms of the boost to the local economy.
“Businesses want to be where there’s a thriving cultural scene and we’ve seen the regeneration of big cities – culture is normally at the heart of that because that’s where businesses and people want to be.
“It’s also a massive boost to things like the night time economy and retail. If you think about the number of visitors that come in for the theatre- well quite often they will go for a meal or they’ll go for a drink with friends beforehand.
“Maybe if they come in to see the pantomime they’ll come and do a bit of their Christmas shopping before as well.
They might even stay a night in a hotel and they might use taxis and things so it’s a real economic boom as well as the health and wellbeing benefit.”
The £10million towards the project has been awarded by the Department of Culture Media and Sport via Arts Council England.
The plans would see
• the construction of a fly tower
• a circle in the main auditorium that would take the seating capacity from 622 to 900
• two new smaller cinema/studio spaces
• • a dance studio
• a community studio
• a café bar and restaurant
• improved front of house and customer facilities • an educational outreach Arts facility
For more about today’s meeting click here