Derelict former theatre in Railway Village to receive £10,000 pound grant
Swindon Heritage Preservation calls the building town's ‘local palace’
A derelict former theatre in Swindon’s New Town is set to receive a £10,000 grant from the Theatres Trust.
The Mechanics’ Institute was built as an education and community centre in 1855, but was closed down when the Railway Works ceased operating in 1986.
Even though the building has had multiple owners since then, it is now in a severely deteriorated state.
Bob Wright, chair of Swindon Heritage Trust, said: “We are delighted to secure £10,000 in grant funding for the Mechanics’ Institution which will be used to identify a sustainable future for the building which respects its past role as a centre of community and culture in the heart of Swindon.”
“The funding secured by Swindon Heritage Preservation will support ongoing efforts to identify and secure a new future for the building and bring closer the reality of a restored theatre.”
“There is much work still to be done but the support of the Theatres Trust brings the restoration of the building one step closer to reality.”
“We will now work closely with Theatres Trust, Swindon Borough Council and other partners to identify next steps and fully maximise the benefits of this grant to fulfil our mission to the people of Swindon – to bring back Swindon’s heritage.”
The Mechanic’s Institute is one of 10 buildings to receive funding in the Theatre Trust’s third round of the Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities programme.
"Real potential to bring joy"
The scheme aims to help Theatres at Risk to be restored, reopened and revitalised by funding condition surveys, fundraisers and development strategies.
Other theatres to receive part of the £74,835 grant are Amulet Theatre in Shepton Mallet, Derby Hippodrome, Doncaster Grand, Margate Theatre Royal, Morecambe Winter Gardens, Oswaldtwistle Civic Centre and Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock, Salford Victoria and Theatr Ardudwy in Harlech.
Joshua McTaggart, CEO of Theatres Trust added: “All the theatres on our Theatres at Risk Register are special buildings that have real potential to bring joy and opportunities to their communities.
“We are thrilled to support 10 of these fantastic theatres with essential strategic projects that will lay the foundations for their revival. We look forward to supporting them through this journey and seeing the progress they make”.
The next step for the Mechanics’ Institute now is convincing people that the building is worth investing in.
"It's almost like our local palace"
“The local council have done good jobs for condition surveys and top of the list is near enough always the Mechanics Institute for restoration. There are arguments that the investment needed is £30m to £40m to get the building – not just the theatre, but the whole building – into a brilliant state.
“People in Swindon will think about where their taxes are going, but of course, we don't do it that way. Taxes do play a role, but it's mainly about having a good plan, showing a good use and then getting funding bodies to actually assist us, and it's a journey.
“It happens where lots of people come together and give bits of money that develop the building and this is fulfilling what the people of Swindon have asked us to do, which is get this building back up”, explained Mr. Wright.
Many buildings in New Town are already being undergoing development works, like the Carriage Works which now houses facilities of the University of Bath, the University of Oxford and the Royal Agricultural University.
According to Mr. Wright, restoring the Mechanics’ Institute would be the final piece of the “jigsaw puzzle”.
“It's almost like our local palace. We don't have a cathedral, but we do have a New Town Square and right in the heart was the Mechanics’ Institute.
“And it's getting that back into shape. All around it's being restored and therefore this is the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle”.