FESTIVAL HALL
Public Consultation
ROADSHOW
"Festival hall for Variety"
FEED-
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WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
Q&A
Q: Have you consulted the current users who have trodden the boards for years?
A: Yes, the current users were the first to be consulted and there will be further consultations with them.
Q: Will you be making better use of the space and the upstairs?
A: Yes, there are proposals to install a lift to make the first floor more accessible as well as having more smaller spaces for hire/use.
Q: Have you conducted an audit to find out what's wanted?
A: Yes, there have been previous consultations which focused on the different uses of the hall.
Q: Will the Festival Hall be marketed better?
A: Currently the hall is being used much like a village hall with us waiting for bookings. Looking forward we hope to be in a position to have a bookings/programmer who will proactively look for acts.
Q: Do you have a Business Plan?
A: There was an early Business Plan which can be viewed on our website - which was drawn up at the feasibility stage. We are working on a detailed Business Plan.
Q: Will local groups get better hire rates?
A: This is something that we will be taking into consideration when new pricing structures are formulated.
Q: What about cost overruns?
A: There is a contingency of 10%
here's what you've said
Quotes from the road
"Would love to see the festival hall blossom and useable for more in the community."
"I would like it to be like Farnham Maltings: variety of performance spaces, rehearsal and storage areas, gallery, café, craft rooms, exhibitions, quality professional theatre."
"I would hope that it is run primarily to benefit the community and to provide good quality arts. I hope there will be a proper box office, publicity, someone with experience running it. Not using it to make as much profit as possible by prioritising corporate events and cheap performances. This town was once renowned for its arts and crafts and I think there should be a renaissance."
"Need to keep it modern and fresh so it ages well."
"Designs look good however, I recommend caution when proceeding with the final designs. I visit a lot of buildings where the local authority or group cannot afford to maintain the building because the architect or specifier has used expensive materials. A school that we worked on nearby were having to pay out £1800 to replace a single extravagant door because the glass has been smashed. Use good quality materials, buy cheap and buy twice after all. However realise that things will need to be replaced."
"I would ask that you try to use local companies to undertake the works. My business is based in Petersfield and quite often we do not get a opportunity to work on local developments. How can that be fair we employ a lot of people in this area who in turn are contributing to our local authority."
"More sports events screenings."
"Upgraded sound & lighting capabilities - currently the sound quality & ability to support personal microphones for musical productions is woefully inadequate. Light rigging for shows is a laborious process due to lack of permanent facilities."
"I thought the sunken auditorium seating was rather ambitious - is it really necessary? Seating arrangements need to allow for wheelchairs & people with mobility challenges."
"Remember that this is a facility for for the local community - it is not Chichester FT. It has to be AFFORDABLE to local groups that currently rely on additional takings from the bar, tea & coffees, ice cream & programme sales to supplement their income in order to be able to perform at all."
"A vital community hub, a centre for all forms of art and the potential to become even more of a focus for the town."
"All of that with it has done in the past and new uses as society evolves in the post-covid era, with substantial discounts for locally based charity and not-for-profit organisations."
"In an ideal world, the whole scheme would be implemented, including the options for the stage/orchestra pit, but I recognise this is very expensive. Perhaps grants might be available to cover some of these costs from trusts etc that support the performing arts in all its forms?"
"Although expensive, I see this as an opportunity to establish a really vibrant centre for the next 20 or 30 years, and over that sort of timescale this is a project that looks worthwhile for the future of the town. It would be a centre for arts of all sorts potentially for the whole of the South Downs National Park with good public transport connections, and thus a unique facility within the park boundaries. One needs to think far ahead with some vision and ambition!"
"More one off live performances from artists would be amazing - taking steam from the success of Chichester festival theatre but otherwise the range of uses is excellent."
"Any money being used to improve such a vital part of the community is welcome."
"Providing gigs and other such music that caters for a younger audience would encourage me to go more often. Comedy evenings would also be appealing if there was a range of variety."
"More live performances, food and drink events, chances for Petersfield small businesses to show off their wares, art shows, spaces for community/clubs to hire."
Programs for kids. Theatre or other entertainment, dance.
"Live music, there are no proper venues for upcoming bands, local bands or established bands that can offer the capacity or the atmosphere."
"The development should invite younger people into the planning process, not only to introduce them to the environment but to make sure it offers what young people want."
"Some small scale gigs would be good, encouraging local bands to put on shows and helping the music community grow."
"There is a huge opportunity to make great use of this building and bring Petersfield together for lots of different purposes. I’m excited by the proposals and hope the projects can all be funded and executed as it will bring a real buzz to our town."
"Good to see that carbon emissions are seen as important."
"Nice to have but extraordinarily expensive and not the best use of limited town council funds."
"Having visited the hall today for my second COVID vaccination I feel that to see a community pulling together are struggling with dates furnishings & buildings was a shame. Therefore I think if the local community could get behind this idea it would be of great benefit not only to the local area in terms of prosperity but also in opportunities & practical use of the venue!"
"More musical events especially from ethnic cultures."
"The kitchen urgently needs improving as very unhygienic at present. Good lighting for exhibitions that is NOT theatre lighting as when on all day they get very hot; yet good lighting for exhibitions is vital."
"The hall is vital to the cultural life of Petersfield and is sadly missed at present as out of use for cultural events which make Petersfield such an interesting place to live."
"Concerts, yoga sessions, craft markets?"
"More natural light would make the venue more attractive for day time events but this may not be possible."
"Cinema, theatre, local bands, concerts."
"Good idea to renovate."
"Kitchen is in an appalling state! Was catering for amdram group with water running down walls."
"We've had people leave the auditorium because it's too hot and there's no air."
"Petersfield is crying out for an Arts Centre! An inspiring space - exhibitions - information - somewhere to spend time."
"The Festival Hall is quite an unwelcoming building if you are unfamiliar with it. Sending people around the back for shows is not ideal."
"With the addition of a café it could offer bistro nights, or a pre-show meal."
"Would like to see Roller-Discos for the young - Barn Dances for mixed ages - Fashion Shows - Art Exhibitions"
"Occasional tours, enabling local people to see what the hall offers."
"Project should allow the Council to cap costs and prevent both project creep and costs overruns. Phases should allow for items to be cut/delayed as a tool to control costs - which means that latter phases must be large enough to enable significant costs to be avoided/delayed."
"Probably need coffee to be there to draw one into the building in the first place - but then I would see what else is on."
"Would like to see exhibitions e.g. V&A costumes."
"Feel it needs to be/have smaller spaces/rooms which can be hired at a reasonable rate for a variety of classes/events/talks. Smaller rooms rented out at cheaper rates and cheaper cost for people attending."
"Quiz Nights - Casino Nights - Masked Balls - Fancy-Dress Balls."
"Essential that the building is open for extended hours i.e. 14-16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Public access cafe/bar facilities, excellent wifi and availability for laptop working. Can provide a town centre flexible space available for local businesses and national entertainment. Flexible spaces available for time-slot ideal. Permanent exhibition space with changing displays."
"Very important to update - have courage and go for it! Kitchen is dire, desperately needs updating. Art exhibitions (PACS) need special lighting - currently theatrical lighting which is HOT - Lead facility for LED and individual lighting. Use for what used to be adult education - classes and lectures. Look at the usage of the Depot in Lewes, E.Sussex - population less than Petersfield - workspace, gallery, café.
"Want a sprung floor for dancing."
"Think about those with poor eyesight - more sensory."
"Would like to see broadcasting West End performances such as the National Ballet."
"It would be nice to have some seating outside the building."
"We support upgrades to all aspects of the Festival Hall. A great asset to the town."
"Should the long-term management of the new facility be put into professional hands? i.e. outside the Town Council."
"There is a need for a small meeting room in the town. The community centre is to small and needs modernising. A town the size of Petersfield should have a better facility. Would be interesting to see what similar size councils offer. I like the idea of a trust. Would mean better long-term commitment, separate accountability and seems what some councils do. I understand it means releasing the asset BUT I think it would be popular with residents."
"Seriously thinking about major redesign of the Main Hall. No need for orchestra pits etc."
"The business model must be viable (profit/loss) in comparison to what it was pre-covid. Has this been checked? Find out how much more the hall could be used. Why hasn't this happened before?"
"Community centre full.
Encourage groups to rent space for associations etc. Must be proactive"
"Petersfield Men's Shed is looking for a workshop and social space for use during day time; could this be considered"
"Taking a big picture view, similar to the Spring in Havant, we feel that the Festival Hall could operate very successfully as a dynamic Arts Centre, obviously without the museum element, since the town already has this. PACS only uses the hall once a year and this is a major event, but no doubt there is plenty of scope for other societies, clubs, groups, and educational organisations to congregate here more frequently and in a centralised location with lots of spin-off commercial benefits eg for a cafe/restaurant. The community centre in love lane and the Herne centre currently host several of these other activities, but it might be good to centralise and have everything under one Arts umbrella which would create a much more dynamic hub identity for the town. Many of the proposed architectural changes that we have seen would seem to accommodate this view. On the financial and political front some of the local councillors we spoke to recently said there are concerns about cutbacks in government funding that may affect this and other potential projects for Petersfield. Also, whilst there is currently a strong will and momentum for change coming from the existing council, this may not continue if another council is elected in future. Fingers crossed that at least some of the proposals to through!"
"I think it's fine as it is - remedial work and repairs only, I don't think a full refurb is justified at £13 million."
"Small rooms equipped with wifi, kitchenette and toilet to be hired to those wishing to "Work from Home", but not having space or quiet in their own house. Think about work and education uses, as well as entertainment.."
"Good to see plans for the refurbishment of the Festival Hall progressing. A friend of mine in Stutgart and he told me that the Local Authority has a casino with profits hypothecated to reduce rates. Could this or even Bingo be an option?"
"If the ptc are going to spend such an obscene amount of money on the festival hall it should have designated space for the town and surrounding villages 16-18 year olds as they have nothing in the town. I think the festival hall should be demolished and redeveloped as a more user friendly space. Disgusting waste of money. Give town and surrounding villages a referendum on whether this should go ahead or not."
"Grossly over spec'd. The stage/theatre needs to be for a market town, not the West End. We need to have a Community Hall that is safe, secure and fit for, local community, purpose. Further detail required on getting the formal approval, by Referendum, of those that pay tax to PTC. This is far far to big a spend to be decided by local councillors alone. The shambles of the Pond refurbishment project exposes PTC inability to Project Manage and Deliver. What is the payback time on the £1673000.00 Energy Efficiency spend?"
"Sports streams go on in pubs and TV so wouldn't support this. Don't want it to be closed for a long time whilst works go on, seat depth in rows needs to be bigger to be more comfortable if the main hall is being renovated."