What went wrong at Oldham Coliseum and where do campaigners go now?

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

“So many people tried to give advice to the Coliseum, but this didn’t lead to change”: A report looking into the reasons which led Oldham Coliseum Theatre to the brink of collapse has found a board culture of insufficient ‘constructive challenge’ and a lack of accountability.

The much-loved historic theatre closed its venue on Fairbottom Street in March earlier this year after nearly 140 years producing shows in the town, despite a passionate campaign backed by residents and prominent northern actors to save it.

A public meeting at the theatre in February organised by the performance union Equity saw 400 people turn out to support the Oldham venue – with Maxine Peake, Paul Hilton, Julie Hesmondhalgh, John Henshaw and Christopher Biggins giving public support to keep it afloat for future generations.

The closure on March 31 resulted in 70 redundancies of staff and the Coliseum being left without a physical home, while plans for a new venue in the town centre’s ‘Cultural Quarter’ will not be completed until 2026. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features Arts Council England (ACE) decided last November to drop the Coliseum from its funding portfolio for the next three years after the body deemed it ‘high risk’, raising concerns about its’ financial management, leadership and governance.