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4 NEWS Summerhall buyer vows arts ‘will remain a priority’ FERGUS MORGAN The luxury homes developer set to buy Summerhall has suggested that the venue’s future will be “mixed-use”, but pledged that the arts will “remain a priority” at the site. Scottish developer AMA Homes has confirmed that it is the preferred bidder for the former veterinary school, which has operated as an arts centre since 2011. Ali Afshar, co-founder and managing director of AMA Homes, said: “We intend to treat Summerhall with respect and consideration for its rich history, with an ongoing commitment to continue supporting the arts on site.” He continued: “We want to develop the best possible plan to achieve a sustainable and commercially viable future. We anticipate this will be a mixed-use plan, but we can confirm that any planning application we make will include allocating a substantial proportion of the space for art, conference, entertainment and public space.” AMA Homes labels itself a “luxury home specialist” and was previously involved in the redevelopment of the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery in Fountainbridge. The value of AMA Homes’ successful bid for Summerhall has not yet been disclosed. Summerhall was put up for sale in May by current owners Oesselmann Estates Ltd. A representative of Oesselmann Estates said: “We are delighted by AMA’s proposals for Summerhall and its commitment to continue supporting the arts at the venue.” Oesselmann Estates confirmed that existing tenants could remain in place for three years and that discussions were ongoing with new charity Summerhall Arts to take over the operation of the venue’s artistic activity, including its Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme. Meanwhile, Summerhall Management Ltd, the company that currently operates Summerhall on behalf of Oesselmann Estates, has defended itself in court against a winding-up petition issued by HMRC over £500,000 of unpaid corporation tax. Dozens of artists who performed at Summerhall during the Edinburgh Fringe are still owed hundreds of thousands of pounds of box-office income from the venue as a result of the proceedings. Much of the income is currently held by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s boxoffice, but it is not yet clear whether this money can be used to pay artists should HMRC’s winding-up petition be successful. Earlier this month, playwright Laura Horton told The Stage she was “extremely anxious” about awaiting more than £15,000 that she is owed for her play Lynn Faces, while an anonymous artist owed more than £10,000 said they had been left in a “hellish limbo”. Private school offers theatre for hire to tackle Labour’s VAT plans GEORGIA LUCKHURST A private school is to relaunch its 495-seat theatre as a professional venue, in a commercial move to help offset costs borne by the introduction of VAT on fees. Berkhamsted School will turn its Centenary Theatre into a year-round venue, with Smash Arts to present the space’s first professional pantomime, Cinderella, this Christmas. Jamie Nelson, commercial operations manager at Centenary Theatre, told The Stage the wider objective was to “provide a high-quality venue for local talent as well as professional acts”. But Nelson acknowledged the approach was also financially minded, explaining: “As with all schools in the independent sector at the moment, the impending introduction of VAT on school fees is a significant concern. “We are looking to mitigate the impact on parent affordability as much as possible through a range of commercial activities – we intend for the Centenary Theatre to be part of this strategy over the medium and long term.” The first show in the relaunched venue, in the Hertfordshire market town of Berkhamsted, will be musical Spend, Spend, Spend, based on the true story of football pools winner Viv Nicholson, running from October 23 to 26. It is swiftly followed by a professional endeavour, Cinderella, from December 19 to 31. The pantomime will star RuPaul’s Drag Race star Veronica Green. Organisations interested in performing in the space are encouraged to send expressions of interest, with companies already accommodated including local orchestra Bridgewater Sinfonia. It comes as independent and fee-paying schools await the onset of a much-publicised VAT imposition, which the Labour government says will raise revenue to be spent on state education – including funding 6,500 new teachers in England. The plans have received criticism from specialist performing arts institutions including the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey. Brunton Theatre to be demolished after RAAC discovery FERGUS MORGAN Musselburgh’s Brunton Theatre is set to be demolished after 53 years of operation. The venue, which was originally opened in 1971 and is managed by Brunton Theatre Trust on behalf of East Lothian Council, closed last year after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. East Lothian Council has now voted unanimously to mothball and demolish the theatre, after the estimated cost of repair – £42.9 million – was deemed too expensive. East Lothian Council has said it will explore options to replace the theatre – and will write to both the Scottish and UK governments for assistance in doing so. Brunton Theatre Trust has staged events at other venues in Musselburgh since the discovery of RAAC, but is facing financial difficulties after having its annual funding from East Lothian Council reduced by £200,000 earlier this year. Michael Stitt, chair of Brunton Theatre Trust, said: “We urgently need funding from the council, Creative Scotland and the Scottish government, as well as from our audiences, to ensure we can continue to deliver the same level of high-quality arts, culture and entertainment events.” He added: “This is vital to ensuring we still have an organisation ready to operate in any new performance space the council aims to build in the future.” The Brunton Theatre’s demolition has provoked widespread sadness in the Scottish theatre industry, with actor Colin McCredie calling the news “beyond depressing”. An online petition calling on East Lothian Council to ensure a new arts centre is built to replace Brunton Theatre has received more than 1,500 signatures in three days. OCTOBER 31 2024 ALSO ONLINE Scottish actor and comedian Elaine C Smith has launched a new cash prize celebrating female comedy actors at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The £500 award will be presented annually to a final-year female student at the Glasgow drama school for the next 10 years. A theatre on wheels has appealed for funds to prevent its closure after it was vandalised while parked up for the winter. The Vintage Show Bus, a mobile performance space in Cromer, Norfolk, has had both sides of its windscreen smashed, threatening its survival. An online course aimed at introducing young people in care to the performing arts is to launch early next year. The six-step programme, featuring performances from Top Boy star Emeka Sesay and soprano Jennifer France, will open to children aged 13-17 in the West Midlands in January, before being rolled out nationwide. Theatre company Applecart Arts has appealed to the public for urgent support, warning it is in immediate danger of closing its doors for good. Believed to be the only professional small-scale performing arts venue in the London borough of Newham, Applecart is aiming to raise £100,000 by the end of 2024. Campaigners Rosie Kay and Denise Fahmy have launched a nationwide survey running until November to explore arts workers’ experiences of freedom of expression in their careers. The duo behind Freedom in the Arts want to know whether anything has changed “for better or worse” in the creative industries in the past five years. Arts Council Wales has been granted funding from the Welsh government to provide “urgent” support for creative organisations most in need. The funding body says the government grant is intended to protect jobs in the Welsh arts sector and increase its resilience. London-based Company Three is to partner with fellow youth theatres across England in a bid to create four new plays and share “practice, art and ideas” along the way.
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OCTOBER thestage.co.uk/news Equity to hike monthly membership fees by 18.5% for lowest earners GEORGIA LUCKHURST Equity is to make larger-than-inflation increases to its subscription fees next year, with those earning the least hit by an 18.5% rise in monthly costs. This level of hike will impact those earning less than £40,000. However, monthly rates for those earning the second-highest tier of income – between £120,001 and £240,000 – will actually come down, falling from £167.50 to £131.50 if paid via direct debit. Equity said this formed part of a restructuring of its fee banding, with the number of bands halved to five. At the same time, “as bands increase, the rate paid is double that of the band below”, a spokesperson told The Stage. Minutes from the union’s 2024-26 council meeting, held on September 10 and seen by The Stage, show Equity officials approved a recommendation to raise fees in 2025, with no increase for 2026. According to the minutes, general secretary Paul W Fleming said the increase was needed because of a rise in union spending over recent years, with subscriptions failing to keep pace. One councillor reportedly raised the concern that members would make the comparison with Spotlight – the casting website Equity has been leading a campaign against by demanding it make its services free for performers. In July, Equity slated Spotlight’s 9% increase to monthly membership fees, with the union saying it had “grave concerns” about the price hike. It comes as Equity confirmed to The Stage it will take Spotlight to the High Court in June 2025 over its fees. However, Equity’s council meeting found a “clear” difference between itself and Spotlight, with members maintaining that the union offered far greater value for money than the casting website. Under the changes voted through by council members, the following member fees will apply, if paid via direct debit: Those earning less than £40,000 will pay £16 a month, or £198 a year, up from £13.50 a month/ £168 a year (an increase of 18.5% a month). Those earning between £40,001 and £80,000 will pay £32.50 a month, or £396 a year, up from £27.50 a month/£336 a year (an increase of 18% a month). Those earning between £80,001 and £120,000 will pay £65.50 a month, or £792 a year, up from £55.50 a month/£672 a year (an increase of 18% a month). Those earning more than £240,001 will pay £319.50 a month, or £3,840 a year, up from £279.50 a month/£3,360 a year (an increase of 14.3% a month). These rates will be effective from February 1, with Equity expecting the increase to bring in about £1.3 million as it looks to absorb an anticipated rise in insurance costs of £550,000. The fee hikes are considerably higher than the current UK inflation rate, which is approximately 2.6% and is expected to fall to 2.2% in the year to come. Fleming reportedly told Equity’s council: “Spotlight had hidden its increase in its subscription rate – we would be honest about ours.” When contacted for comment, deputy general secretary Louise McMullan told The Stage: “The rise in Equity’s subscriptions in 2025 is for a two-year period. It is above current rates of inflation, having remained below inflationary rises in the period since 2019. They remain the cheapest of any comparable union. “The rise pays for a substantial new package of benefits – such as a doubling of the accident and injury insurance payout to £300 per week. Our insurance provision had to be renewed this year, and rising insurance rates across the board presented a challenge. Equity conducted a rigorous tender process, price-compared all the possible options and secured the lowest-cost, most comprehensive cover ever offered to members, at a price no individual would get.” McMullan pointed out that the union had “substantially” increased eligibility for its lower band of subscriptions and expanded support for those who face hardship in paying their dues. Actors declared ‘workers’ in action against theatre company GEORGIA LUCKHURST A “landmark” tribunal has deemed two actors workers rather than self-employed performers for a children’s theatre company in Scotland – allowing them to pursue claims on their hours and pay. The pair have won permission to sue M&M Theatrical Productions, based in Ayr, after an employment judge found that they were “properly regarded as workers” in their time contracted to the company last year. The board of directors at M&M have since told The Stage that it was reviewing engagement practices for performers to ensure “full compliance” with the new classification, adding that it was “committed to upholding all rights afforded to workers under UK law”. In a judgement posted on october 15, the findings of a preliminary hearing revealed that the two actors, named as A Taylor and A Fountain, were pursuing claims relating to the Working Time Regulations Act of 1998, the National Minimum Wage Act 1989 and the Employment Rights Act 1996. To follow up these claims, however, the pair had to be found to be workers – not self-employed. The respondent, M&M Theatrical Productions, presents shows mainly in primary schools, touring across the country. It recruits independently from actors without agents, as well as via agencies, with each tour comprising four performers – one of whom is a tour leader. Ultimately, employment judge L Doherty found that the level of “considerable control” the company exercised over work – including maintaining a uniform code, health and safety regulations, “close direction as to how to perform” and restrictions on what actors could post on social media – meant the pair were indeed workers. The claims will now progress to a full hearing, as M&M’s directors told The Stage they were reviewing how they contract performers following the initial finding. In a statement, the board of directors said: “Recently, our contractual approach was reviewed during a tribunal initiated by former cast members following their dismissal, for reasons unrelated to the contractual terms under review. In a landmark decision, the tribunal ruled that our performers are classified as workers, influenced by the extensive training, support and nurturing environment we provide to our talented actors. “We welcome this decision, which now ensures uniformity in the treatment of actors across the touring theatre industry.” However, M&M Theatrical Productions said it would “vehemently deny” any accusations of poor pay, continuing: “Regarding allegations of working time breaches, we want to clarify that M&M Theatrical Productions has always adhered to national minimum wage standards. “We have consistently paid our performers a fair wage for all hours worked, and any suggestion otherwise is unfounded. We are confident that our records will substantiate our commitment to fair pay.”

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4

NEWS

Summerhall buyer vows arts ‘will remain a priority’

FERGUS MORGAN

The luxury homes developer set to buy Summerhall has suggested that the venue’s future will be “mixed-use”, but pledged that the arts will “remain a priority” at the site.

Scottish developer AMA Homes has confirmed that it is the preferred bidder for the former veterinary school, which has operated as an arts centre since 2011.

Ali Afshar, co-founder and managing director of AMA Homes, said: “We intend to treat Summerhall with respect and consideration for its rich history, with an ongoing commitment to continue supporting the arts on site.”

He continued: “We want to develop the best possible plan to achieve a sustainable and commercially viable future. We anticipate this will be a mixed-use plan, but we can confirm that any planning application we make will include allocating a substantial proportion of the space for art, conference, entertainment and public space.”

AMA Homes labels itself a “luxury home specialist” and was previously involved in the redevelopment of the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery in Fountainbridge.

The value of AMA Homes’ successful bid for Summerhall has not yet been disclosed.

Summerhall was put up for sale in May by current owners Oesselmann Estates Ltd.

A representative of Oesselmann Estates said: “We are delighted by AMA’s proposals for Summerhall and its commitment to continue supporting the arts at the venue.”

Oesselmann Estates confirmed that existing tenants could remain in place for three years and that discussions were ongoing with new charity Summerhall Arts to take over the operation of the venue’s artistic activity, including its Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.

Meanwhile, Summerhall Management Ltd, the company that currently operates Summerhall on behalf of Oesselmann Estates, has defended itself in court against a winding-up petition issued by HMRC over £500,000 of unpaid corporation tax.

Dozens of artists who performed at Summerhall during the Edinburgh Fringe are still owed hundreds of thousands of pounds of box-office income from the venue as a result of the proceedings.

Much of the income is currently held by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s boxoffice, but it is not yet clear whether this money can be used to pay artists should HMRC’s winding-up petition be successful.

Earlier this month, playwright Laura Horton told The Stage she was “extremely anxious” about awaiting more than £15,000 that she is owed for her play Lynn Faces, while an anonymous artist owed more than £10,000 said they had been left in a “hellish limbo”.

Private school offers theatre for hire to tackle Labour’s VAT plans

GEORGIA LUCKHURST

A private school is to relaunch its 495-seat theatre as a professional venue, in a commercial move to help offset costs borne by the introduction of VAT on fees.

Berkhamsted School will turn its Centenary Theatre into a year-round venue, with Smash Arts to present the space’s first professional pantomime, Cinderella, this Christmas.

Jamie Nelson, commercial operations manager at Centenary Theatre, told The Stage the wider objective was to “provide a high-quality venue for local talent as well as professional acts”.

But Nelson acknowledged the approach was also financially minded, explaining: “As with all schools in the independent sector at the moment, the impending introduction of VAT on school fees is a significant concern.

“We are looking to mitigate the impact on parent affordability as much as possible through a range of commercial activities – we intend for the Centenary Theatre to be part of this strategy over the medium and long term.”

The first show in the relaunched venue, in the Hertfordshire market town of Berkhamsted, will be musical Spend, Spend, Spend, based on the true story of football pools winner Viv Nicholson, running from October 23 to 26. It is swiftly followed by a professional endeavour, Cinderella, from December 19 to 31. The pantomime will star RuPaul’s Drag Race star Veronica Green.

Organisations interested in performing in the space are encouraged to send expressions of interest, with companies already accommodated including local orchestra Bridgewater Sinfonia.

It comes as independent and fee-paying schools await the onset of a much-publicised VAT imposition, which the Labour government says will raise revenue to be spent on state education – including funding 6,500 new teachers in England.

The plans have received criticism from specialist performing arts institutions including the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey.

Brunton Theatre to be demolished after RAAC discovery

FERGUS MORGAN

Musselburgh’s Brunton Theatre is set to be demolished after 53 years of operation.

The venue, which was originally opened in 1971 and is managed by Brunton Theatre Trust on behalf of East Lothian Council, closed last year after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

East Lothian Council has now voted unanimously to mothball and demolish the theatre, after the estimated cost of repair – £42.9 million – was deemed too expensive.

East Lothian Council has said it will explore options to replace the theatre – and will write to both the Scottish and UK governments for assistance in doing so.

Brunton Theatre Trust has staged events at other venues in Musselburgh since the discovery of RAAC, but is facing financial difficulties after having its annual funding from East Lothian Council reduced by £200,000 earlier this year.

Michael Stitt, chair of Brunton Theatre Trust, said: “We urgently need funding from the council, Creative Scotland and the Scottish government, as well as from our audiences, to ensure we can continue to deliver the same level of high-quality arts, culture and entertainment events.”

He added: “This is vital to ensuring we still have an organisation ready to operate in any new performance space the council aims to build in the future.”

The Brunton Theatre’s demolition has provoked widespread sadness in the Scottish theatre industry, with actor Colin McCredie calling the news “beyond depressing”.

An online petition calling on East Lothian Council to ensure a new arts centre is built to replace Brunton Theatre has received more than 1,500 signatures in three days.

OCTOBER 31 2024

ALSO ONLINE

Scottish actor and comedian Elaine C Smith has launched a new cash prize celebrating female comedy actors at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The £500 award will be presented annually to a final-year female student at the Glasgow drama school for the next 10 years.

A theatre on wheels has appealed for funds to prevent its closure after it was vandalised while parked up for the winter. The Vintage Show Bus, a mobile performance space in Cromer, Norfolk, has had both sides of its windscreen smashed, threatening its survival.

An online course aimed at introducing young people in care to the performing arts is to launch early next year. The six-step programme, featuring performances from Top Boy star Emeka Sesay and soprano Jennifer France, will open to children aged 13-17 in the West Midlands in January, before being rolled out nationwide.

Theatre company Applecart Arts has appealed to the public for urgent support, warning it is in immediate danger of closing its doors for good. Believed to be the only professional small-scale performing arts venue in the London borough of Newham, Applecart is aiming to raise £100,000 by the end of 2024.

Campaigners Rosie Kay and Denise Fahmy have launched a nationwide survey running until November to explore arts workers’ experiences of freedom of expression in their careers. The duo behind Freedom in the Arts want to know whether anything has changed “for better or worse” in the creative industries in the past five years.

Arts Council Wales has been granted funding from the Welsh government to provide “urgent” support for creative organisations most in need. The funding body says the government grant is intended to protect jobs in the Welsh arts sector and increase its resilience.

London-based Company Three is to partner with fellow youth theatres across England in a bid to create four new plays and share “practice, art and ideas” along the way.

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