Town hall to share in cash boost for venues

Sir John Wilson town hall is to receive funding assistance through the Scottish Government’s performing arts venues relief fund.

The Airdrie venue will benefit from a proportion of a £203,743 grant awarded to operators Culture and Leisure North Lanarkshire (CLNL).

It will now be used to run a programme of online events, including a planned Christmas production and community arts activities, supporting the facilities while they are unable to reopen due to“the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

CLNL chief executive Jillian Ferrie said:“this grant enables our venues team to return specialist technical and arts officers to work to deliver a range of online creative events.

“We are delighted to be supported by Creative Scotland during this period and the programme of activity will be confirmed as soon as possible.”

Airdrie’s town hall regularly staged a wide range of shows and events in its 600-capacity main hall, and also boasts a cinema in its upstairs hall.

It had a major refurbishment and facelift a decade ago which saw the construction of a new extension housing a cafe, gallery and accessible lift, plus the installation of the digital cinema and new sound and lighting systems.

The £3.6 million project was completed in late 2012, just in time for the venue’s centenary.

The B-listed building – considered“a rare example of an Edwardian classically-inspired public hall”– is named after its benefactor, who was Airdrie’s MP from 1895 to 1906.