'It's not about another building': The Leeds art group hoping to breathe new life into town hall
A Leeds arts group is planning to transform an empty town hall into a “lasting resource”.
East Street Arts, a registered charity and artist-led organisation based in Leeds that supports artists and creative communities by developing and operating studios, workspaces and creative hubs across the UK, have applied to Bradford Council to transform Bingley Town Hall.
The Council is now in advanced discussions with the organisation to prepare a lease agreement for the long-term use of Bingley Town Hall as a creative workspace for the local area.
In the past Bradford Council has suggested the building could be converted into a spa hotel.
Jon Wakeman, artistic director of East Street Arts, said: “Bingley Town Hall is a remarkable building, and we’re really pleased to be exploring the potential for East Street Arts to become tenants and to work with Bradford Council and local partners to bring it back into everyday use.
“There’s a real and growing demand in Bingley for affordable, flexible creative workspace and for places where people can come together around culture and making.
“For us this isn’t simply about taking on another building. It’s about working alongside Bingley’s artists, Bingley Creates and local residents to turn a much-loved heritage site into a lasting resource for the town – a place that respects the building’s history while opening up new opportunities for people to make, learn and connect here in Bingley.”
A statement from the Authority said: “There has been significant interest from Bingley’s creative sector in developing a local workspace for a range of cultural and creative activities.
“East Street Arts will now explore opportunities to secure additional funding to support the building’s development, working with the Council to ensure the Town Hall can be used flexibly by local artists, organisations and the wider community, while supporting the long-term refurbishment of the historic building.”
Councillor Susan Fricker, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Culture said: “The Town Hall is an essential element of the work towards town centre regeneration for Bingley.
“We are working with East Street Arts, Bradford Producing Hub, and Bingley community creatives along with some potential external funders, to create a shared vision and plan for this much loved community heritage building. ”