The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Tiles salvaged from former pool provide unique piece of history.
Artist Kirsten turns talents to painting beautiful landscapes on ceramic from former public baths
Tiles salvaged from the old Montrose swimming pool have been used to create a reminder of the public baths in the fundraising push for its conversion to a community cinema.
As the group behind the Montrose Playhouse celebrates its latest funding boost, local artist Kirsten Ritchie Walker has transferred her talent to the ceramic tiles for a collectors’ run of pieces featuring two local scenes.
Montrose beach and Scurdyness, and Montrose from Rossie have been captured on the tiles, which are being sold at £75.
Playhouse project chairman David Paton said: “All tiles will have unique edition numbers making them a true local collector’s item.”
The group is now focusing on February when it will find out whether or not it has been successful in an application to the Scottish Government’s regeneration capital grant fund.
Earlier this year it made it through to the second stage of the process and the detailed application for more than £1.6 million has recently been submitted.
If successful, work on the transformation of the former pool into an arts centre and three-screen digital cinema complex could begin in spring, with a view to an unveiling in early 2020.
The funding pot for the ambitious project also recently enjoyed a £4,336 boost from the Co-op’s policy of supporting community organisations across the country.
Representatives from the cinema project joined those from other recipient organisations at a cheque handover at the Co-op in Brechin, which also donated cupcakes for the audience at the group’s latest fundraising film screening of Bohemian Rhapsody at Hillside hall.
The 45-year-old swimming pool on The Mall, which was declared surplus to requirements by Angus Council in 2012 following its replacement by a new facility in the town’s Marine Avenue sports centre, was bought by the cinema project team for £1 in 2017.
Full planning permission was previously granted by the local authority for conversion of the old pool into a three-screen cinema and arts centre, with cafe-bar and multi-purpose areas, and parking at the rear.
The community has also delivered hands-on help from the early stages of the scheme to create the £2 million-plus attraction, with hundreds of thousands saved as locals stripped out the contents.
“All tiles will have unique edition numbers making them a true local collector’s item