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Waygood Gallery, High Bridge Studios, Baltic 39, Stand Comedy Club | Newcastle | 5fl | Completed

32K views 130 replies 27 participants last post by  grewlike topsy 
#1 ·
What are everyone views on the development of the Waygood Gallery on Highh Bridge Street?

The link below gives you are fly through the development :

http://www.waygood.org/redevelopment/index.html

It looks great IMO and will bring new life to High Bridge Street. It is unfortunate that that a soon as something opens on High Bridge- such as the new gift shop near grey Street and the extension of The End something closes- the pub.

Also what about the crap NCC who have messed up the funding for it? And now the Chronic are running stories about how the tax payer will have to pay for it to be finished at the same time money is being taken from schools and hospitals- typical OTT Chronic stories.

I like these cultural developments in the city- espeicially when old buildings are brought back into life- just look at the Baltic and Biscuiot Factory- we seem to be very good at this type of stuff.
 
#5 ·
Artist Topsy Qu'ret claimed he was forced out of job at Waygood Gallery

Oct 21 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal


AN artist was forced out of his job at a troubled art gallery after a row with his “bullying” boss, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Topsy Qur’et told an employment tribunal sitting at Newcastle’s Quayside that Waygood gallery director Helen Smith got him sacked after months of tension.

Matters were said to come to a head when Ms Smith was left frightened and shaken after the artist allegedly stared at her “unemotionally” during a discussion about his role.

Ms Smith was alone in her gallery at the Harkers Building on Shields Road in Byker, working on a private art project, when she said Topsy suddenly approached her and said he was convinced she thought he was not doing a good job. The gallery director said she was very “unnerved” by Topsy as he stood and stared at her and she asked him to leave her studio, but became more unsettled as she realised she was alone with the artist.

She told the tribunal she was intimidated, saying he was “verbally aggressive and seemed determined to stay”. Ms Smith said she started to panic, and raised her voice, saying three or four times she wanted him to leave.

When this did not work, she said that she “started to panic and at that point I completely lost it”.

Asked to clarify just what it was that had upset her, Ms Smith said: “He was just watching me and showing no emotions, watching me panic and there was no sympathy whatsoever.”

Eventually, she told the tribunal, she pushed Topsy by the shoulders and forced him to leave.

This incident was cited as the main moment when the relationship between the two broke down and led to Topsy being dismissed.

He claims he merely approached Ms Smith while he himself was at work to ask about an ongoing contract dispute and was never closer than six foot to his boss.

The 5ft 7in artist says he merely wanted to talk about his job and that Ms Smith became angry with him.

At one point tribunal judge Hunter intervened and said he found it “extraordinary” that Ms Smith would have pushed Topsy away if she felt so scared of him.

Later in the hearing it was claimed one Waygood employee had left the company citing Ms Smith’s management practices in her resignation.

But gallery bosses said the same person had since applied for another job at Waygood.

The tribunal also heard how Ms Smith was also the subject of an ongoing “grievance procedure” following claims of “repeated bullying and aggressive behaviour”. Waygood hit the headlines last month when it was revealed management delays had cost the city council millions of pounds in increased fees.

The tribunal continues today and is expected to conclude tomorrow.
 
#8 ·
Artist Topsy Qur'et wins tribunal against gallery

Nov 14 2009 by Amy Hunt, The Journal
Comments (2)
Recommend (5)
Artist Topsy Qur'et has won his case against Newcastles Waygood Gallery at an employment tribunal

THE boss of an art gallery at the centre of an unfair dismissal claim has been criticised by a tribunal panel.

A ruling by Newcastle tribunal chairman John Hunter described the behaviour of Helen Smith, chief executive of the Waygood Gallery in Newcastle, as “not normal and unpredictable”.

Bosses at Newcastle City Council and the Arts Council, which fund the gallery, are now carrying out a review into Waygood’s future in light of the judgement.

Artist Topsy Qur’et took the gallery to an employment tribunal claiming he was sacked from his post for no reason.

And the tribunal agreed Mr Qur’et was unfairly dismissed, saying he was without blame and that Ms Smith’s version of events was “lacking in credibility”.

Tension between Mr Qur’et and Ms Smith, about whose behaviour two other staff members had also complained, was said to have begun over her failure to give him assurances about his contract with the gallery.

In July 2008 the artist approached Ms Smith in her studio to discuss the issue.

Ms Smith claimed on that day she had felt intimidated by Mr Qur’et, telling the tribunal he had stood still and stared at her “as though he was waiting for her to crumble and crack” until she “lost it”, pushing him out of the room because she was scared.

Waygood’s operations manager Lisa Tolan also told the tribunal she had felt “uncomfortable” at another meeting with Mr Qu’ret where the artist had decorated the room with some plants and a self portrait.

Mr Hunter’s judgement ruled Ms Smith’s case for dismissing Mr Qur’et was “inherently weak”.

It read: “There are many possible reasons why Helen Smith lost her composure and her temper. We heard evidence that she had bullied other staff, the implication being that she was prone to lose control.

“We are satisfied that her explanation that she became frightened of the claimant and fearful for her safety is untrue.

“The evidence shows that they were well-known to each other and at ease in each other’s company.

“That Helen Smith should suddenly develop a fear and distrust of the claimant that was irreconcilable and permanent as a result of the looks he gave her during this conversation is entirely lacking in credibility.” On Lisa Tolan, Mr Hunter said: “We do not believe that she was afraid of the claimant.

“The evidence she gave that he had intimidated her by the tone of his voice in a telephone message, putting plants in a meeting room and displaying a sketched portrait, bordered on the ridiculous.”

After the ruling Mr Qur’et said: “This has been a horrible experience. It is a huge relief to receive this judgement vindicating my claim that my dismissal from Waygood was unfair.

“I have said all along this is an indication of a larger problem. I think questions have to be answered by the board and I think a resignation has to come out of this. Helen Smith herself must now consider her position.”

A spokeswoman for Waygood said: “The tribunal’s analysis agreed with the board’s findings that the relationship between Mr Qur’et and other members of staff had irretrievably broken down and that this was not trivial.

“Waygood takes its responsibility to staff and studio artists very seriously and is disappointed with the tribunal’s ruling that Mr Qur’et’s subsequent dismissal was unfair. Waygood is taking legal advice on the merits of appealing this decision.”

Waygood takes its responsibility very seriously and is disappointed with the tribunal’s ruling
 
#9 · (Edited)
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Funding for Waygood Gallery has been axed
Feb 18 2010 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal



A controversial Art Gallery has had its funding axed after city leaders hit out at management "deficiencies".

Bosses at the Waygood Gallery have been told they are unlikely to receive further cash from the Arts Council North East and Newcastle City Council.

The decision comes three months after an employment tribunal revealed claims of failed management practices at the gallery.

Waygood’s senior team were responsible for taking forward a multi-million pound project to open a gallery on Newcastle’s High Bridge.

But the venue’s leadership saw the project hit long delays which saw costs rise by at least £2.7m – and the taxpayer has had to foot the bill.

Newcastle Council last night said the gallery team no longer provided “value for money”.

Despite handing in a new business plan last month, Waygood have been told there is no confidence they can be trusted with public funds after the overall bill went up by £6m.

In November an employment tribunal ruled that gallery chief executive Helen Smith had wrongly dismissed a member of staff who had claimed he was fired for personal reasons.

Following that civic bosses asked for a full review of the gallery’s business plan.

Last night the decision was taken to drop the gallery and find a new partner to run the project.

In a statement Newcastle Council said: “The city council shares the concerns of Arts Council England over deficiencies in Waygood’s strategic and management capability. Also, its capacity to deliver the business plan as highlighted by the independent governance review.

“The plan lacks robustness and does not adequately demonstrate a capacity to deal with risk, future uncertainties or to generate the growth required in the long term to ensure value for public money.

“Therefore the city council has decided that it cannot move forward with Waygood as the operator.

“We will seek to negotiate a resolution with Waygood that will allow us to move forward and make alternative arrangements for operating the gallery and studios.” And Arts Council North East bosses added to the gallery’s troubles.

A spokeswoman said: “The Arts Council have formally notified Waygood that we are considering withdrawing revenue funding from the organisation. This is because we consider that Waygood has failed to adequately address our serious concerns about their governance, business planning ability and capacity to work in partnership.

“We have a duty to carefully monitor the organisations we invest in to ensure that they are performing well and delivering best possible value for the public. It is because we take these responsibilities seriously that we are taking this action.”

A final decision on gallery funding will be made by Arts Council bosses at a regional meeting on March 31.

Last night gallery sources indicated they may have been the “fall guy” for failings elsewhere in the project. The council has previously admitted failings leading to a spending overrun were in part down to their handling.

A Waygood spokeswoman said: “Waygood staff and board are very disappointed to learn that Newcastle City Council and Arts Council England, North East have, at this late stage of a five-year relationship, chosen to not continue to support Waygood. The independent review, which they commissioned, recommended the low-risk option was to work pro-actively to build capacity within Waygood to create a thriving arts organisation on High Bridge.

“Neither have they followed the review’s recommendations to offer immediate business planning support, management, training and assistance with board renewal, despite Waygood complying with the recommendation of change of chair of the board, who has now been confirmed as Ivor Stolliday, previously acting director of BALTIC.”

Newcastle Labour councillor Nick Kemp last night said the decision brought “sad end to a very sad affair”.

He added: “It would seem that there have been significant problems throughout, and now finally the Waygood Gallery face the full blame. I can see no attachment of blame placed at the City Council, which is amazing as they were the project managers.”
 
#10 ·
Actually it is good news, of a sort. I think this decision is for the best.

Council's statement:

Redevelopment of gallery and studios (part of the Wards Building, High Bridge) and operation of the gallery and studios through Waygood Gallery and Studios



You may be aware from the media of issues surrounding the Waygood project. In the media there is a tendency to confuse what are in fact two separate issues:



1. The capital project which is the refurbishment and redevelopment of part of the Wards building on High Bridge to create gallery and studio space in the city centre; and



2. Management and operational problems within Waygood Gallery and Studios (‘Waygood’) - the organisation we have worked with as the intended ‘operator’ of the facility.



These are separate issues and Council officers have been working hard to try and support and where possible resolve both in recent months.



This email is to advise you of the current status of the capital project, and the latest position regarding the Council’s relationship with Waygood.



After many setbacks and construction problems, the capital project is progressing well, and should be completed at the end of April. There will be a period during which we will need to ensure the building is ready for occupation and then artists waiting for studio space should be able to move in from approximately June onwards.



In terms of Waygood the organisation however, we have decided that we cannot move forward with them as an operator, and that we have to consider alternative operational arrangements for the gallery and studios. In summary, the main reasons for this are:



1. Waygood’s lack of co-operation in addressing the findings of the recent governance review;



2. Concerns about Waygood’s ability to independently plan and manage the gallery and studios and in particular, the robustness of Waygood’s business plan when assessed in the broader context of the organisation’s track record (i.e. the need to maximise the capital asset; the amount of council officer support needed to produce the latest version; the need for the organisation to repay debt in future years; the current financial climate); and



3. We have also received a summary view from the Arts Council that they find the business plan unsatisfactory.



Since forming our view we have also been advised that the Arts Council North East has notified Waygood of its proposal to withdraw its annual revenue funding with effect from September 2010. This is subject to confirmation, but the Arts Council’s intention reinforces the Council’s view. If the Arts Council’s proposed withdrawal of funding is confirmed, then Waygood would find it impossible to deliver even a reduced operation at the Wards building, since one of the main assumptions within their business plan is the availability of ongoing Arts Council revenue funding.



We will be notifying Waygood of our decision today. We will not be seeking to publicise the situation but it could result in more media coverage, and we have prepared a statement in case it is needed.



We will continue to work closely with the Arts Council to find a positive outcome for the Wards building, and ensure its vibrant future as a cultural facility. Our first step in this will be to enable the smooth relocation of artists to the studios and we will be working with Waygood in order to secure this.
 
#13 ·
Thankyou GregStone

I assume you are closely related to Cllr Greg Stone representing North Heaton, as you can post internal NCC memos online, and therefore speak on behalf on the 56 Artists currently based in the temporary Waygood space by Chillingham Road Metro?

In light of Tony Durcan's public statement printed in the Journal on 19 February: "Tony Durcan, head of culture, libraries and lifelong learning at the city council, conceded: “It is not Waygood’s fault that the capital project has cost a lot more money than was originally thought."

I wonder then if you can justify:

1. Newcastle City Council's lack of consultation with the Artists who are the main stakeholders in the project.
2. The lack of alternative plans for a new operators, and the belief that the best thing for the artists is to move back 'in faith' without knowing who their future landlords.
3. The removal of income streams for the gallery and still expect them to operate.
4. The justification of removing the creative and learning programme and public access from a building which cost £10.5million
5. The decision not to work with an organisation who has 14 years experience of managing studios and building relationships with the arts community.
 
#16 ·
I haven't been directly involved with Waygood at any stage so am not able to answer with any particular authority; I would suggest you contact Cllr Pauline Allen who is executive member for culture, leisure, and customer service pauline.allen@newcastle.gov.uk with regard to your specific questions, although in the circumstances you might also wish to address them to the Arts Council.

From my limited knowledge, I would suggest that it has been widely reported that in addition to the structural problems and cost over runs with the capital build project, there were a number of issues regarding management capacity for the operation of the project, which have culminated in both the council and the Arts Council deciding that the current arrangements were unsustainable.
 
#18 ·
Inquiry urged in row over Waygood Gallery
Mar 1 2010 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal



CITY council leaders could yet face censure for the failings of a controversial art gallery project.

A Government watchdog has been asked to investigate how a multi-million pound overspend was allowed to be built up on the planned Waygood Gallery on Newcastle’s High Bridge. The council has so far escaped attention as spending chiefs focus on whether or not the gallery’s team mismanaged the project.

Last month both the Arts Council England and Newcastle Council revealed they were pulling funding from the gallery team after it failed to come up with a business plan that they regarded as satisfactory.

Waygood chiefs have been at the centre of criticism since it emerged last year that more public cash would have to be put into the plans for a flagship city centre gallery after a catalogue of errors and delays saw other funding sources dry up. An internal report into the project management saw Waygood’s board and chief executive criticised. It came hot the heels of an employment tribunal which revealed chief executive Helen Smith’s “unpredictable” behaviour.

Now Newcastle councillor Nick Kemp has written to the Audit Commission urging it to send in investigators to look into what he says is “the latest example of failed regeneration” in the city.

In his letter, the Labour man claimed the Lib Dem-controlled council had shown “a lax attitude” and “exercised financial mismanagement”.

He called for an urgent inquiry “to understand how such significant delays and overspend has been allowed to occur”. Mr Kemp claimed he called in the watchdog because he believed the council had allowed Waygood to lead the project despite a lack of a credible business plan.

The councillor, who heads the authority’s regeneration scrutiny committee, asked: “How can the city claim to be committed to the project when it is clear that it is a total failure of project management from the city council which has created this situation?

“And what is even more galling is the manner in which the city has sat back and allowed a locally grown arts organisation, the Waygood, to take all responsibility when it is clear that they themselves have been fundamentally failed by the council..”

Mr Kemp said he believed the council had let down the Waygood, but failed to address its own failings. However, Tony Durcan, head of Newcastle Council’s culture, libraries and lifelong learning section, said the Arts Council and city council were committed to ensuring the successful opening of the gallery and studios “which will be a fantastic new asset to the city, the region and the visual arts community”.

He added: “The city council acknowledges that due to a series of unforeseen circumstances relating to the complexity of the scheme, there have been time delays and increased costs.

“But we are working hard to make sure that those artists expecting to move into the new studios are provided for at the Wards Building while we address the wider operation issues relating to the building.”
 
#22 ·
Waygood gone bad

In her post above Anna Quay is angry with the council for seeming to let down artists and studio-holders but unfortunately she is not in full possession of the facts.

While there are definite lessons to be learned about how the council has handled this, if Waygood (and by that I mean the current CEO and Board) had been allowed to run the building (even with the cafe and bar) they would have driven it into bankruptcy and then really let down the studio holders and whole arts community). This was highlighted as a danger in the independent review unless certain measures were taken which included immediate resignation of the chair and agreement to resign by the CEO. Waygood weren't prepared to take these steps so the council have acted to save the place and all the studio holders will still get their studios - the council want it to work (having spent so much money) not FAIL.

Waygood ignored the urgent recommendations of the independent report that their chair resign. The chair actually declared in the paper that she wouldn't resign, then mysteriously she wasn't chair any more when it was too late.

Of course the place and its intentions are a great idea Anna but those ideas and intentions can still happen without the people who have been in charge who might have the appearance of great leaders but who have made some terrible mistakes.

You say that Waygood have 14 years experience. Well unfortunately Anna, a more hidden side of that 14 years has seen resignations, broken confidence, lowered self-esteem and shattered reputations, setting people against each other that had no real quarrel. Hopefully one day it will be clear to you but, of course, the people around the top at Waygood want to bolster the impression of themselves as the wronged people's heroes. Sadly that isn't the whole picture.

Sadly also, I know you will be encouraged by them to see this kind of message as untruthful. There is nothing I can do about it except to say that I won't stop speaking the truth and it is important that people involved in a highly contentious situation like this know the whole truth.

I want a positive outcome to this and I really sincerely hope the studio artists will get affordable studios, that an education programme is put into action and that the High Bridge building flourishes in an imaginative, vibrant but fair and transparent way.
 
#24 ·
Waygood gallery artists hope to secure future funding
Mar 9 2010 by Amy Hunt, The Journal


ARTISTS from a troubled project are attempting to drum up support in the hope of securing future funding.

Waygood artists and volunteers have launched a website to which they are encouraging supporters to add messages.

It was announced last month that Newcastle City Council was to ditch Waygood as its operator for a new art gallery being developed on the city’s High Bridge. The Arts Council also told Waygood’s management it was considering withdrawing funding for the project.

It followed a turbulent year in which Waygood’s chief executive was the subject of a successful bullying claim by a former employee and an independent review found Waygood bosses had insufficient management skills.

The website, www.wishesforwaygood.tumblr. com, has been designed as a place for people to show their support for the future of the gallery.

Dee Shaw, one of the artists who has had a studio at Waygood for four years, and been an associate artist for more than eight years, said: “We know that there is a huge amount of support for Waygood both within the studio artists and the wider community.

“We as Waygood studio artists and supporters believe that this decision from the funding partners is short-sighted and isn’t in the best interests of the artists, students, recent graduates, volunteers and visitors who have been involved in Waygood since its beginnings 15 years ago through to the present and into future.”

Organisers of the petition say they will collect positive messages and send them to the funders. A final decision on gallery funding will be made by Arts Council bosses on March 31.

An Arts Council spokeswoman said: “We have formally notified Waygood that we are considering withdrawing revenue funding from the organisation. This is because we consider Waygood has failed to adequately address our serious concerns about their governance, business planning ability and capacity to work in partnership.”

A city council spokesman said: “The city council shares the concerns of Arts Council England over deficiencies in Waygood’s strategic and management capability. Also, its capacity to deliver the business plan as highlighted by the independent governance review. The plan lacks robustness and does not adequately demonstrate a capacity to deal with risk, future uncertainties or to generate the growth required in the long term to ensure value for public money.

“Therefore the city council has decided that it cannot move forward with Waygood as the operator. We will seek to negotiate a resolution with Waygood that will allow us to move forward and make alternative arrangements for operating the gallery and studios.”

He said the council and Arts Council England were committed to working closely to ensure the successful opening of the building on High Bridge.

A spokeswoman from Waygood said: “Waygood’s community of staff, directors, studio artists, volunteers and supporters are extremely disappointed to learn of these decisions at this late stage of a six-year redevelopment partnership with Arts Council England, North East and Newcastle City Council, and are particularly frustrated that this decision has been arrived at just nine weeks before the building is due for completion.”
 
#25 ·
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Hmm, this is about (what is now seemingly to be referred to as) "The High Bridge Studios and Gallery formerly known as Waygood" . . .

Picture becomes clear at gallery
Apr 1 2010 The Journal


IT’S millions of pounds over budget and delayed by five years, but an art gallery due to open in Newcastle will attract cultural visitors to the city for years to come, leaders say.

Contractors are putting the finishing touches to High Bridge Studios and Gallery which, once open, will provide creative space for about 50 artists. The Wards building, a former print works, has been undergoing a revamp, with the finished product originally due to open in 2005.

But the cost of the project, previously known as The Waygood, rose from an initial price of £4.7m to an estimated £10.5m after a host of problems. Cash came from public funds from Newcastle City Council and the Arts Council, as well as grants.

The city council’s head of culture, libraries and lifelong learning, Tony Durcan, said: “It has cost more than we hoped but it’s for a long time and it has brought what was a very redundant building back to life. If it’s popular people will forget the cost.”

The building will be handed over to the council by contractor Rok on April 23 and city bosses hope it will finally open in the summer.

They are optimistic that finishing the building will give a boost to the run-down image of High Bridge.

Newcastle City Council is in the process of going back to the drawing board to find a new operator for the building, after making a decision to sever ties with Waygood, which had been set for the job.

Because of this it is still not certain exactly what will be housed in the Wards building, along with two floors of artists’ studios and a top-floor gallery, though a basement cafe and club are possibilities.

One, or possibly two, floors will be let out as office space.

Mr Durcan said: “I think it will be a lovely building when it’s finished. It has cost us more than we hoped, but a lot of that was externally funded and once we had started if we hadn’t finished it the council would have had to pay that back, so it would’ve been more of a liability.

“There were a number of issues, but the real ones were about the condition of the building. When they started work they found a Medieval well. All the proper searches had been done, but in a city centre you just don’t know what you’re going to find. There was also corrosion in the columns and the floors of the building which weren’t found.

“While all that was going on prices of things like steel went up hugely through inflation.”
 
#26 ·
I've changed the 'thread title' on this, to more reflect its status as a "Project", rather than just a discussion thread.

Interesting VIDEO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkDUPVC_b2M


A visualisation of the project, from the rear . . .




According to the previous post, the contractor (Roc) was putting the finishing touches to the building in the early part of this month, with a view to 'handing it over' to the City Council on 23rd April.

I haven't heard anything about that happening yet, but it should (?) be soon!

Of course, it may not be called "The Waygood Gallery" any more!
 
#27 · (Edited)
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Some illustrations of the building and progress on the project . .


Waygood Gallery proposals, seen from the back of the project . .





Waygood Gallery building, before redevelopment began . .




June 2009, and the new roof is in place . .


and the new glass panels fitted . .



High Bridge frontage . .




The precise origins of some of the above photos are unknown, but where not otherwise credited, above photos are from my own collection, or the Waygood Site, or the Chronicle & Journal Website.

SEE ALSO - http://www.flickr.com/photos/18936657@N00/




.
 
#28 ·
Troubled gallery gets a fresh start
July 5th 2010, by David Whetstone, The Journal


ARTISTS will start moving into city centre studios today turning a new page in what has been an extraordinary and often troubled saga.

A fraction over £10m - millions more than had originally been intended - has been spent on creating the new High Bridge Studios, Newcastle, formerly known as Waygood.

The job is now all but done, according to Tony Durcan, Newcastle City Council’s head of culture, libraries and lifelong learning.

Only an inner courtyard and a few finishing touches are still to be completed before the builders, Rok, vacate the premises, Mr Durcan said.

“It is all very positive. We are expecting about 38 artists to move in over the next week or so and most of the studios are let,” he said.

“This project was always seen as something that would help to animate High Bridge and we hope that will be the case.”

The recently renamed High Bridge Studios include 29 artists’ studios with some of the new tenants planning to share.

It is five years since the artists based at the former Waygood relocated to the council-owned Harkers Building on Shields Road, Byker.

Newcastle City Council bought the Wards Building site nearly 10 years ago for £1.7m with money from development agency One North East.

With Waygood running the studio and gallery complex, elaborate plans were then set in place to turn the building into a major city centre attraction.

In 2002 The Journal reported that the refurbishment was estimated to cost £3m. It was hoped work could begin in July 2003 with a view to opening in 2005, in time for European Capital of Culture 2008 which Newcastle and Gateshead were bidding to host.

The artists have been very good. I know they’ve been unsettled and don’t know who the long-term operator will be. But overall I think they’re pleased with the building. We have made huge progress in the last few months and we’ve now got a fantastic building


FULL ARTICLE HERE - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-...ed-gallery-gets-a-fresh-start-61634-26785523/
 
#29 ·
Fresh start needed for Waygood Art Gallery
September 14th 2010, by Amy Hunt, The Journal



AN art gallery operator is wanted to run a brand new city centre premises. Newcastle City Council is looking for an organisation to run the High Bridge Gallery and Studios.

The premises opened in July after a long and troubled development.

It was to be run by, and named, Waygood, but the council dropped the organisation after an independent report said bosses did not have the management skills necessary to run it.

Now city chiefs, who were managing it as an interim measure, are putting out to tender the contract to run the gallery.

Tony Durcan, Newcastle City Council’s head of culture, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “The council is inviting expressions of interest for a partner to animate the High Bridge Studios and Gallery and to establish it as an exciting and innovative contemporary visual arts venue in the centre of Newcastle. Approval will be sought from the council’s procurement committee on September 27 to a full tender exercise.

“In the meantime, the council hopes to identify a number of parties who are suitably experienced and qualified at providing and developing services of this nature and who will be prepared to engage in the full tender process if approval is forthcoming.

“This is an exciting and unique opportunity right in the heart of our city and we are delighted to be embarking on the first important step towards securing its future.”

Newcastle City Council bought the former Wards Building print factory on High Bridge nearly 10 years ago for £1.7m with money from development agency One North East.

The plan was to turn the building into a major city centre attraction, in a £3m renovation, with artists’ studios and gallery space and other features like a cafe and learning centre.


FULL ARTICLE HERE - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-...-start-needed-at-city-gallery-61634-27261363/
 
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