Oldham Council has announced that Oldham Coliseum theatre has been saved from closure and is officially due to reopen in time for the 2025 pantomime season. The renowned theatre which has helped launch the careers of many Northern stars was forced to close in March last year after Arts Council England withdrew a £1.8 million grant from the theatre following a nationwide review.
However, the decision sparked a huge campaign to keep the venue going and as a result last night (July 8) saw Oldham Council Leader Cllr Arooj Shah announce that Oldham Coliseum had been saved. The Cllr Arooj Shah said at a celebration event in front of the historic Fairbottom Street theatre: “Oldham Council has listened to local people. I can now reveal that we will bring the Coliseum back to life in time for the Christmas Panto 2025.
“We are formally committing £10 million for this major programme that will see our famous venue open its doors to the public once more. We are working together for the future of theatre in this town. It’s a big part of our plans – putting culture at the centre of transforming our town centre and creating a better Oldham for everyone.”
The Oldham theatre helped launch the careers of several well-known British actors and writers including including the likes of Suranne Jones, Christopher Eccleston and Maxine Peake, who have all trod the boards at the Coliseum. These stars also lent their support to the campaign by appearing in a short film earlier this year to help save the venue.
The campaign lead by former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh and BAFTA-winning screenwriter Ian Kershaw alongside the support of Oldham Council has now secured funding to reopen the theatre.
Julie Hesmondhalgh said: “This is a cause for celebration for so many people who have come together to show their passion for the theatre and bringing the Oldham Coliseum back to life. Oldham Council has shown a fantastic commitment to re-opening the Coliseum, and by working together, we can really put arts and culture at the heart of a transformed town centre. It feels like the start of a new, exciting era and it’s one that has been driven by the people of Oldham.”
Jim McMahon MP, who has also played a key role in the Coliseum’s re-opening, added: “This announcement is the direct result of people coming together to stand up for the things that matter in their communities. The outcry from the people of Oldham and beyond at the Coliseum’s closure was testament to the value that culture and the arts have in forging relationships to places and between people.
“This investment, working alongside a model that brings local arts organisations and local people together with a shared stake in its future, will help secure not only this fantastic building with its amazing heritage but also the future of producing theatre in this borough.
“Theatres in this country have suffered not only from the impact of the economic crisis, as hard-hit families have been forced to reprioritise budgets and spend less on cultural activities, but also from reductions in central arts funding and from the squeeze on local government budgets who local arts organisations rely on for much of their funding.”
The plans to bring the Coliseum back to life will be formally approved by Oldham Council’s Cabinet next Monday (July 15). Find out more about Oldham Coliseum theatre here.