Members of Barrow’s cultural community say they are increasingly worried about the possibility the town may never have a performance venue following news that The Forum will face demolition.
The venue has been out of action since asbestos was discovered in July 2024 during Walney Musical Theatre Company’s production of Legally Blonde.
This week the drama became a crisis.
“The Forum wasn’t perfect — we all know that – but it was a proper theatre space,” Neil Hastings, the chair of the 116-year-old Barrow Operatic Society, said.
“It gave us facilities that simply don’t exist anywhere else locally.
“The audience experience was strong, the stage had scale, there were wings, there was loading access, there was room for an orchestra, there was possibility. Losing that matters.”
In December last year Team Barrow – the consortium made up of the government, Westmorland and Furness Council and BAE Systems – asked residents to take part in a consultation about what they want from the town centre in the future.
The process was part of the first phase of Barrow Rising – the strapline used by Team Barrow – and Heart of Barrow – a regeneration programme which is led by the local authority.
At the time David Haughian, assistant director of community infrastructure at Westmorland and Furness Council, and Heart of Barrow workstream lead for Team Barrow, said: “At the heart of these conversations is a simple but powerful ambition: Barrow will be a thriving, prosperous town where people can flourish and grow.”
But several months on there is growing concern that the scale and size of those ambitions remains unclear.
While the news this week signals demolition will go ahead what the short-term replacement ideas are (called “meanwhile” plans by the authority in December) have not been set out.
Longer term ‘cultural, entertainment and community activities’ in the town are still some way off too, it’s understood, and will again involve a community consultation.
Neil said: “Creative people will always create but we should be honest about the difference between ‘some cultural activity’ and a dedicated, central, professionally-designed theatre with 500-plus seats, proper technical infrastructure, and the ability to stage ambitious productions.
“When I hear that ‘a cultural offering’ will form part of the £200m development, I want that to mean more than a market space or occasional pop-up events.
“Those have value — absolutely — but they are not substitutes for a theatre.”
Recent meetings have failed to build confidence in a sector which thrives in this part of Cumbria. Around 15 different groups used to make use of The Forum.
Alternatives, such as The Coro in Ulverston, do exist but there is a cost to get there from Barrow which for some means a night out is out of the question.
The group who may well have the honour of having staged the final performance at The Forum have reacted angrily to news of the venue’s closure.
Walney Musical Theatre Group voiced their frustration after being told at stakeholder meetings that a theatre is not a financially viable option for the council and that it costs too much to subsidise.
On social media, it said: “We feel despondent, dejected, furious and heartbroken. It is hard to put into words.
“Those at the very top of the decision-making process are not the people most impacted by this outcome. Nor are they the people who used The Forum to its full capacity, its technical capability, its performance potential, or its ability to bring large audiences into the town.
“The absence of a clear plan, detailed proposal, or tangible commitment from those making these decisions leaves us with little confidence in what comes next.”
For others there is concern that Barrow may never figure in the touring schedules of performers who once came to town.
Neil said: “Who is going to bring serious touring comedy, bands or large productions to the biggest town in Westmorland and Furness if the only option is a 200-seat banqueting room with limited facilities?”
He added that the rights holders for productions were unlikely to grant permission unless details of a venue, its capacity and other details were known in advance, something constraints of a proposed temporary ‘pop up’ venue could not satisfy.
He said: “I don’t object to closures if they lead to something better. Rebuild by all means — but rebuild properly.
“The problems are: the lack of clarity and the lack of involvement. There are rumours, fragments, ‘I’ve seen a plan,’ ‘someone’s seen something else’.
“It feels closed off, not collaborative.”
A teacher, his main concern is the impact the long-term loss of a facility will have on young people.
He added: “If we go several years without a proper theatre space, a generation will miss out. Young people don’t wait for infrastructure debates to resolve. They either get the chance to perform, build confidence, and find direction — or they don’t.”
The Walney group too have highlighted the importance of performance and staging opportunities to all ages.
In its statement, it said: “Beyond careers, the mental health benefits of performance, belonging and shared cultural experience – particularly for young people – cannot be overstated.
“Removing that access removes aspiration, connection and hope at a time when they are needed most.
“We have not been told what it would actually cost to safely repair and reopen The Forum – only that it is ‘too much,’ that the building has reached the ‘end of its life’, and that demolition is required.
“The Forum will be demolished. There is no clear proposal for what will replace it. The council is seeking funding to also improve The Coro in 2028 – if successful it could lead to a closure of the venue while it is improved.
“This would leave us with no theatre space whatsoever other than proposed meanwhile plans which are in no way a suitable replacement for The Forum and The Coro collectively.
“The future of theatre both amateur and professional is looking bleak – without a serious, long term commitment from the council to a dedicated theatre space, it simply won’t survive.”
Those behind the Heart of Barrow project will surely be working to ensure they are not the ones to let the team down.
