The Fisher Theatre

A DRAMATIC COMMUNITY PROJECT
 

For Sandra Cox, her involvement with the Fisher Theatre in Bungay started 17 years ago, over a glass or two of wine with friends. Their love for where they lived was undisputed, but as the evening went on their attentions turned to the lack of entertainment and community facilities in the area, and more importantly, what could be done about it.

After debating the matter, Sandra along with friends Sally Hirons, Judy Kelsey, John Putnam and Jan Hughes, decided that it was about time that they took matters into their own hands, but what could they do and where? It didn’t take long before one venue jumped out to all five of the friends, the old Fisher Theatre, a venue choice that would eventually lead to a crucial loan from Foundation East and an annual £1 million plus boost to the local economy.

The theatre once had a colourful and thriving past, but fell on hard times and since closing to the public, operated under many different guises including an army surplus store and a textile warehouse. First opened in 1828, the theatre was one of thirteen designed and built across East Anglia by David Fisher, serving the circuit of Fisher’s company ‘The Norfolk and Suffolk Company of Comedians’.

Wanting to recapture the success and popularity of the theatre, the group decided to apply for various grants and loans in order to progress their vision, which as Sandra explains, were integral at every stage of the development. “We were lucky enough to receive a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, this allowed us to buy the theatre quickly, however after that we had to find the rest of the money to restore it and turn it into the community centre that we had dreamed of.

“Along with major funders in the region, the people of Bungay really got behind us with fundraising, holding events in the shell of the theatre – we had no heating, the toilets didn’t work and the ceiling was falling in, but there was a real sense of the community coming together.

“We used a large amount of our contingency fund during the construction period; as we discovered that the foundations of the building were made from a rare type of shingle that needed all sorts of work. This led to multiple expert opinions and additional work, but we just didn’t have enough money to complete the project, which is when Foundation East came to our rescue.

“I first came across Foundation East when we started looking around for our charity mortgage; having decided that it would be the best and quickest way to obtain the money. I arranged to meet with Valerie Jarrett, our soon to be loans officer, to discuss our borrowing needs for the theatre. Valerie was exceedingly helpful in arranging our loan and supplement, she made the whole process easy and hassle free, it was also incredibly quick, allowing us to get on with the restoration work.

“We will have been open four years this September and the Fisher Theatre is a roaring success in the community, we partly have Foundation East to thank for that. Run almost completely by volunteers, we have a 160-seat auditorium, new flexible flooring, a restaurant and even a licence to hold weddings here! People of all ages flock here daily as there is always something going on from plays and gigs to art exhibitions, and of course, weddings.”

Sandra is justly proud of the achievements of the Fisher Theatre. “Since opening the theatre has won several awards, including Best Attraction and New Innovation on the Sunrise Coast – as voted for by Eastern Daily Press readers, which was just brilliant. The theatre reopening has also had a positive impact on the local economy, more people are venturing out to local restaurants before coming to us for the evening, along with more tourists visiting Bungay.”

It is well known within the arts industry that art venues bring a great deal both financially and socially, to their local communities. However, this is often not recognised more widely. Realising how important it is to disseminate reliable information to a wider audience The Arts Council of England, Scotland and Wales developed an approved method for calculating the economic impact of such projects. This formula was used in ‘The Fisher Theatre Economic and Social Impact Study’ and illustrates fully the extraordinary achievement in pure economic terms – in just one year the Fisher Theatre adds £1,011,442 to the economy of the local community.

In addition there are significant social impacts, including: revitalising the town centre, making it a safer and more user-friendly environment; a disability friendly venue has raised the possibilities for those who normally cannot attend events; the opportunity for local school involvement – performances, prize-givings, historical projects, work experience placements; after-school activities to help keep teenagers involved in positive activity, including achieving drama qualifications – LAMDA; and because it has this venue even people choosing to move to Bungay, rather than the other three market towns in the area.

In conclusion Sandra turns her thoughts to Foundation East: “Without a doubt I would recommend Foundation East to anyone looking for a loan for their business or project. I found them to be so helpful, and Valerie was wonderful – in fact she still keeps in touch now to see how we are getting on, which is lovely.
www.fishertheatre.org