News Release

Dunoon Burgh Hall moves closer to becoming Cultural Centre

Argyll’s oldest surviving theatre is to benefit from more than £160,000 in repair grants from Historic Scotland to help lift the curtain on its new life as an arts and cultural centre, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop announced today.

The Cabinet Secretary said:
"This grant, which will be used to fund the repair of the building’s fabric and improve access, is a significant boost for the Dunoon Burgh Halls Trust, which is leading a campaign to restore the venue as a multi-functional arts, community and events space."

"Dunoon Burgh Halls tell a vital part of the story of Dunoon and will hold memories for a large number of people. Times are tough, but this sort of project exemplifies why we need to invest in buildings at the heart of our communities so they can continue to be a resource for us all."

Colin MacPherson, Chairman of the Burgh Hall Project Group, said:
"We are delighted that Historic Scotland has awarded the project such a significant grant award, which will be pivotal in enabling the Trust to continue with the building’s repair and renewal."

The B-listed Burgh Hall was the only theatre in Argyll from its construction in 1873 until the 1960s. The theatre went out of use completely in the 1980s and was eventually registered as a Building at Risk.

In early 2009, the John McAslan Family Trust purchased the derelict building with the intention of transforming it into a cultural centre for the town and wider region. The Burgh Hall was re-opened in May of that year following a series of initial repairs, and has remained in use since then through a diverse programme of cultural activities.

John McAslan, Chairman of the Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust, said:
"We are committed to returning the Burgh Hall as a key arts-led venue at the heart of the community so we are delighted that Historic Scotland has demonstrated such resounding support for the project."

The Burgh Hall’s cultural programme includes the development of visual arts and crafts training, dance classes, promotion of the written and spoken word and the theatre also acts as a venue for touring artists. It has already hosted a successful dance festival with Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, has been selected as a venue by the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate for its Artist Rooms collection in 2012 and is also set to host the first Dunoon Film Festival next Summer.

The Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust is seeking funding to complete the project from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Creative Scotland and the Big Lottery, as well as a range of private and public funds.

Contact: Historic Scotland
Direct line: 0131 668 8603
Mobile: 07920 768096
Email: lesley.brown@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

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Dunoon Burgh Halls has a stage one Historic Scotland Building Repair Grant award of up to £161,241 for repairs. The total project cost is estimated to be £1,198,867.
Other properties to receive grant aid in this batch of awards are The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum; Drum Castle; Craigston Castle estate; The Haining estate in the Scottish Borders and Ullapool Museum.
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government charged with safeguarding the nation’s historic environment. The agency is fully accountable to Scottish Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament. For more information visit www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
The John McAslan Family Trust initiates education and community projects in the UK and overseas. It does this through collective participation and by sponsoring a wide-range of social, education, environmental, arts and sports projects. More information can be found at: www.mcaslan-family-trust.com
The Burgh Hall website can be found at www.burghhalldunoon.com
Register for media release email alerts from www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/news. If you wish to unsubscribe at any time, please email hs.website@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

News Release

Dunoon Burgh Hall moves closer to becoming Cultural Centre

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