Fight launched to save rock stars' home town venue

A petition to stop the closure of a south Wales valleys venue which gained wider fame by hosting rock band the Manic Street Preachers has attracted more than 1,000 signatures in its first 24 hours.

Caerphilly council plans to "mothball" both the Blackwood Miners' Institute venue and the Llancaiach Fawr heritage site to save about £45m, sparking anger from local people.

Some councillors called for the institute to be saved, claiming the local authority was making “cuts in the wrong places,” and a former manager of the venue said it would be "devastating".

Council leader Sean Morgan has said the "that the scale of savings means we need to make some very difficult decisions over the coming months”.

The institute holds a special place in the hearts of many, having hosted numerous events, including one of the first performances by local band the Manics in the 1980s.

They also played one of their most memorable performances at the institute in 2011 - their first gig in their home town in 26 years.

The council said it must make about £45m in savings over the next two years and currently provides the institute with a £347,000 annual subsidy. The council also currently subsidises Llancaiach Fawr to the tune of £485,000.

Blackwood deputy mayor George Edwards-Etheridge started the online petition because he fears the institute’s closure “would have a massive impact and loss on the local communities and town”.

The venue’s events calendar includes school performances, pantomimes, and Christmas parties, said Mr Edwards-Etheridge, adding: “The impact that a potential closure could cause would be devastating to local communities in and around Blackwood.”

Eloise Tong, who was theatre and art service manager for two-and-a-half years before quitting recently, said: “My decision to leave was driven by the overwhelming stress of fighting for the venue’s future.

"Obviously I appreciate the council are in very difficult position right now, but they were presented with alternative options and they appear to have chosen the worst case scenario.

"I'm just really disappointed and sad because I don't feel that this decision is in any way necessary."

The closure decision came as a shock to her and her team, who had been engaged in constructive discussions with the council.

“We were open to working with the council to reduce costs where possible,” she said.

"We had also over-achieved on all of the saving targets set by council, which were quite considerable targets for the last three to four years."

One option was transitioning the venue to an independent charity over two to three years, but she said this appeared a "short-term fix" and "devastating for the community".

"I struggle to understand how it went from: ‘We've got time to work through this' to to suddenly 'We've got no time and we're proposing an immediate closure of the venue'.

"The venue’s loss is not just a blow to Blackwood but to the entire cultural landscape,” Ms Tong added. “It has been integral to the arts industry in Wales, and its closure will leave a significant void."

"It's a very beautiful historical venue that a lot of people in Wales hold in a special place in their hearts," she said.

"I just think it's really sad that the council don't seem to have appreciated quite how significant is to people."

Also devastated is Sadie Hancock, 19, who has been with Janet Stephens’ Dance School at the institute since she was five.

“I have danced there my whole life, it’s become my second home for myself and a lot of the girls,” she said.

Around her university studies in Cardiff, Ms Hancock travels back to the town every week to practice modern jazz, tap and ballet, as well as teach the younger dancers.

“We have grown up there and formed so many great friendships, we all would be crushed if we couldn’t dance there anymore.”

Ms Tong added: "This closure will mean that Caerphilly county is left with no arts funding at all, and people will have to go into Cardiff or into Newport to access the arts, which isn't fair."

Council leader Sean Morgan, noting the local authority’s projected savings, announced the plan to mothball the two sites on Tuesday, July 30.

He said at the time: “We can’t continue to run our services in the way we always have. We need to explore all options and consider ways of doing things differently.”

He added: “I want to be honest with the community because it is clear that the scale of savings means we need to make some very difficult decisions over the coming months.”

Additional reporting by Charlie Buckland.