Tyne Theatre & Opera House secure funding for ‘Grand Saloon’ project

The Tyne Theatre and Opera House have secured £0.5m funding, as part of Creative Central NCL, a project funded by the North East Combined Authority and Newcastle City Council to develop creativity and culture in the city.

The Tyne Theatre and Opera House will now embark on enabling works that are the first stage of an ambitious development project.

The work will be carried out on the footprint of what was known as the Westgate Music Hall from 1869, Grand Saloon from c. 1887 and Winter Gardens Tea Room in the Stoll Cinema years.

Chairman of the Tyne Theatre & Opera House Preservation Trust, Mike Wilmot, has said“The space that has operated most recently as the theatre’s Bistro Bar has had a varied history, having run under numerous names and served the local community in differing ways. We’re looking forward to building on this legacy and opening the next exciting chapter for our venue.”

These works will return the Grand Saloon to a double height space, removing the ceiling that was added in the 1960s to create a ‘black box’ performance space.

As well as resolving some critical building issues, creating this new performance space will allow the Tyne Theatre & Opera House to broaden the spectrum of their arts and culture offering, as well as increase the potential for community engagement adding much needed facilities within the Creative Central NCL footprint – a designated area of the city where Newcastle City Council and North East Combined Authority are directing £1.7m of investment to support creativity and culture.

Project Director, David Wilmore, has said “These enabling works are a crucial step forward in the journey to securing the future of this significant heritage venue. The progress made by this project will allow us to lay the foundations for continued development, when the Tyne Theatre & Opera House will create a significant number of new jobs”

At the heart of this overarching goal to refurbish and operate a sustainable independent venue, are plans to increase and strengthen ties with the local community. In addition to hosting a variety of entertainment, the ‘black box’ iteration of the Grand Saloon will be an adaptable space, able to improve access to and engagement with cultural activity by serving as a hub for meetings, rehearsals, workshops and more.

Also included in phase one of the theatre’s masterplan is the creation of a new café and bar in the shop and foyer of the former Bistro Bar. Named ‘1867’ (the year the theatre opened), the café bar will be the new home of the box office and will open in Winter 2024. Furniture and facilities for the cafe have been secured with funding provided by Sir James Knott Trust.

CEO Jonathan Higgins has said “We’re thankful to the North East Combined Authority and Creative Central NCL with Newcastle City Council for the funding that will allow us to embark on the next chapter of the Tyne Theatre & Opera House’s story. We also want to thank our audiences for their ongoing support. The income generated from ticket sales, hospitality, donations and our Friends Club membership scheme has also played a crucial role in allowing us to fund this project. We look forward to being able to welcome even more people through the doors to our new café bar this autumn, and to reopening the re-envisioned black box space for the benefit of audiences and the local community.”