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Oh no you can’t
A CHILDREN’S theatre group has joined the battle to save threatened Leeds Civic Theatre and has collected more than 5,000 signatures on a petition.
The amateur group, which has produced stars such as TV personality John Craven and actress Angela Griffin, is opposing plans by Leeds City Council to convert the theatre into a museum. The council wants to create a new theatre as part of an arts complex nearby.
But the campaigners say the Civic is part of the city’s heritage and should be retained in its current use.
Karen Waddicor is chairwoman of the Children’s Theatre, which is based at the Civic.
“This is not just about the Civic Theatre as a building, not just bricks and mortar,” she said. “It is about the theatre’s community – and that is what it is, a community.
“I joined the theatre when I was seven and I have been a member more than 30 years. There is a lot of family involvement. People become part of the theatre and then bring their children along.”
Coincidentally the Children’s Theatre is this week presenting a children’s environmental and conservation play, The See-Saw Tree.
It is about a 300-year-old oak tree threatened by a developers. The play is based on the community of animals who live in and depend on the tree.
Community
“It is about a community and its survival, just as the theatre is a community,” said Karen Waddicor.
The Civic is the city’s home for amateur theatre. The council plans involve a 23m conversion into a museum. The council is proposing to build a new multi-million pound theatre behind Portland Chambers in Millennium Square.
The Children’s Theatre group on Saturday handed its petition against the plans, containing 5,457 signatures, to the city’s Lord Mayor, Coun Bernard Atha, who also opposes the proposed conversion of the theatre.
Leeds Children’s Theatre was formed in 1935 and celebrated its 65th anniversary last year.
The not-for-profit group recently won a lottery grant to launch a computer-based theatrical archive.
Leeds Children’s Theatre is just the latest organisation to line-up in defence of the Civic. Others include the Leeds Civic Arts Guild.
The groups say that if they lose their campaign and the Civic closes as a theatre, the proposed new theatre should be up and running before the closure to ensure continuity.
peter.lazenby@ypn.co.uk
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
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