Walney Musical Theatre Group has branded an update about the future of a Barrow theatre as ‘not good enough’.
The Forum’s theatre has been closed for over two years since July 2024.
It said any future development had to be financially viable.
It released the statement in response to criticism by Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham.
This afternoon, Walney Musical Theatre Group posted its reaction to Team Barrow’s statement on Facebook.
It said the town deserved certainty rather than ambitions and aspirations.
The group said: “From the outset we questioned whether there would be the political will and financial commitment to provide a permanent, professional theatre for the town in its place.
“We have never been able to get a guarantee on this and worried we’d be left with a pale imitation of what came before due to the financial difficulties of the council.”
Walney Musical Theatre Group said the latest update failed to guarantee if a new theatre would be delivered, what it would look like, when it would be built, or how it would be funded and operated.
It added: “Today’s statement does little to address those concerns.
“It acknowledges a ‘shared ambition’ to build a new theatre, but stops short of providing any guarantee that one will be delivered, what it will look like, when it will be built, or how it will be funded and operated.
“We have repeatedly raised concerns about Westmorland & Furness Council’s ability and willingness to continue subsidising a theatre, particularly given the wider financial pressures facing local government and the recent disposal of other council assets. Those concerns remain unanswered.
“The reference to ‘temporary interventions’ is equally frustrating. We have been discussing these meanwhile spaces for months.
“They have been considered, approved by cabinet and spoken about publicly, yet there is still no indication of when these spaces will open or concrete information what they will actually provide.
“Local arts organisations cannot continue to operate indefinitely on promises of something that may come in the future.
“While we welcome any recognition that arts and culture should be at the heart of Barrow’s regeneration, aspirations alone are not enough.
“The closure of The Forum has already had a profound impact on performers, audiences, young people and community groups across the town. Every month that passes without clear decisions puts more of our cultural infrastructure at risk.
“As an update, we are left with little more certainty today than we had yesterday. The ambitions are welcome, they have been for years, but what Barrow now needs are guarantees.”
“We will continue to campaign for a replacement theatre that is at least equal to what this town has lost.”
