By: HAA Admin
HILLINGDON ARTS ASSOCIATION – MINUTES OF QUARTERLY MEETING
6TH OCTOBER 2024
1. PRESENT
Lydia Holland – Trustee Chair
Jonathan Hayter – Visitor, Back the Beck Campaign
Sheena Rosser – Hillingdon Artists
Pat Bond – Visitor
Sylvia Taylor – Trustee Acting Minute Secretary
Richard Fremantle – Honorary Treasurer
Jenny Thorne -Trustee
Michele Needleman- Sine Nomine Singers/ Hillingdon Chamber Choir
Ron Webb – Voices in Accord
Gloria Webb – Voices in Accord
Maggie Warren -Pastiche Theatre
2. APOLOGIES
Zoe Iggulden – Ruislip Dramatic Society
Joyce Carpenter- Society of Ruislip Artists
Gayor Lasch -Ickenham Art Society
Paula O’Shea – Southlands Arts Centre
Richard Noakes – Phrase Writers
Peter Russell – Middx Woodturners
Marion Chamberlain -Proscenium
Lynn Kaufman – Ruislip Lions
Judy Kelly – Ruislip Dramatic Society
Peter Slavid – Uxbridge Folk Club
Sheila Scoates – Hillingdon U3A Singers
3. MINUTES OF QUARTERLY MEETING 18TH JULY 2024
MATTERS ARISING The Minutes of the Quarterly meeting of 18th July were considered by a member to be less than satisfactory as the newly awarded Arts Award holder Victoria Holburd and Micheal Craxton Award recipient Sheena Rosser were not recorded I the Minutes. The Minute Secretary pointed out that they have been included in full in the Minutes of the Annual Meeting but the member who raised the question felt strongly that they should have been recorded in the Quarterly meeting. There were also several names of attendees which were incorrect. The Minute secretary apologised and said that these two matters would be corrected. It would be helpful for those signing the Attendance Register to put their names in Capitals to avoid any further misspellings. The Minutes will be retyped entirely to take account of the omissions and errors.
The Chair’s letter to Councillors regarding the paucity of the provision for the Arts , except those events which the Council promote. Currently two very serious actions are on the Council Agenda 1. The Removal of the Central Library with all its benefits of space for Exhibitions, Classes, Local History resources and convenience from a central site in Uxbridge to a poorly sited position in the Civic Centre. 1. The declared Closure of the Beck Theatre in Hayes.
PROPOSED CLOSURE OF THE BACK THEATRE, HAYES On the latter situation Lydia had invited Johathon Hayter, who is unaligned with the Beck Management but is part of the BACK the BECK protest. There has been a huge local outcry from the public who are concerned at its proposed closure with coverage by local and national press and TV. Public Meetings have also been held, a Demonstration on the evening of the Cabinet Meeting at which decisions were to be made, this was held on the forecourt of the Civic Centre. A demonstration is planned for 30th October outside the Beck Theatre.
Trafalgar the managing company have had a 15 years least up until 2022, as the end drew near Trafalgar tried to have discussions with the Council about the future as they wished to develop plans to improve the Theare’s facilities, but none were forthcoming. After several attempts to try to get a meeting with the Council it was announced without warning in June this year that the Theatre would close, in three months time. The Company argued for a stay until at least the Christmas Pantomime as an essential part of their forward planning and marketing strategy. The Council prevaricated further and by default the Company have been left with no surety of tenure beyond this Christmas. Throughout the period of the end of the Lease the Council have not communicated with Trafalgar and so deadlines which were set were not met which had they been, might have resulted in a better outcome for the theatre’s future in Hillingdon. Trafalgar put together a plan which Hillingdon Council did not respond to and despite of what has been published by the Council the actual situation was not as reported, and has since been shown to be erroneous and misleading.
Ostensible the Council offered a 3 year lease, but in reality only gave a 9 month period of tenure. A short Lease does not allow for Capital development or to be able to access external funding from other sources so is very unsatisfactory from a business point of view. Each local theatre has to pay its own way and is not subsidised by the larger more commercial theatres in cities such as London or Manchester.. The Council however has implied that they do in their flawed public statement.
The CEO of Trafalgar Theatres is very community minded, hence the shows which are family friendly, for young people ie Beck Youth Theatre, Beck Community Choir etc as well as shows tailored for dementia sufferers etc. The theatre is used by schools, local amateur groups, community societies and enables Charities to be supported by events held in its premises.
The Management of the Beck have offered the Council to run without subsidy while the Council retains, as it owns the property, responsibility for maintenance. Again, no response came from the Council.
Three weeks ago the Beck felt they needed to go public as rumours grew about its future although for some time the Cabinet meetings were obviously discussing the theatres future but this was not made public knowledge. After the Beck’s announcement of Closure, the Council issued a misleading Statement which did not record the actual facts. Back the Beck Campaign which has been sported not just by hundreds of local people but by national TV, local and National press, the Theatres Trust, The Stage etc. . The Beck Theatre, like all other similar theatres needs to be run on commercial lines in order to support the loss making or sponsored community shows.
Concern was expressed by members that if the Council fail to find a new operator soon , or appoints one which is inappropriate ie Sports centre management group the Theatre could be mothballed, subjected to vandalism and decay leading to a similar fate as experienced by the Yiewsley which Pool site which suffered similar treatment by the Council so that the Pool is now lost to the local community after 10 year period of neglect.
Lydia thanked Mr Hayter for his enlightening account of relations between the Council and the Trafalgar Group and members showed their appreciation of his work to retain the Beck theatre as a community resource.
3.TREASURER’S REPORT Mr Fremantle told the meeting that names of Treasurers to societies needed to be checked for accuracy. He had not yet sent out Renewal of 2024/5 Membership letters to societies as he had problems with attachments. He promised he would do so very shortly.
Interest recorded at the end of year 2023, £323.77 relates to the end of year 2022/23. The current year 2023/24 will not appear until the end of 2024 accounts.
4.PUBLICITY OFFER
The Council have offered a full page of advertising in the Cultural Heritage Magazine for Summer 2025, (a three month edition) for £400 for two pages. It would be a 2 column version . Members asked for clarity especially regarding the Venues to be used which are not in Council ownership, such as Church halls etc. Lydia to follow up.
5. HAA WEB SITE
A meeting is planned between Fred and Stephen Davis, Sheena Rosser and Sylvia (on behalf of Lydia) to discuss the appearance, layout and content of the present site. It was agreed by the members present that the present site looks tired, is not always responsive and has extraneous items which could be removed without loss of important information. ie the Gallery which appears to serve no useful purpose.
6. REPORTS FROM SOCIETIES
HILLINGDON ARTISTS We have done several one-day events over the summer – 2 Macmillan fundraisers, Ickenham Gala Day, Eastcote House Gardens Day, and Pinner Rotary Fair. On October 23rd we will do our 2nd one-day corporate event at the Compass Centre, Heathrow, selling to all the employees.
10 of our artists have taken studios in the old Wetherspoons at Stockley Park, now being managed by West London Society of Arts. There are 22 studios in total. The ribbon was cut on Thursday 3rd October for the opening of the new exhibition space there, which will be used for solo exhibitions and group exhibitions, by the studio artists. It is a wonderful opportunity, so we just hope that the WLSOA contract continues for as long as possible. At least we know we are safe till the New Year. We have ongoing exhibitions at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham and the Charter Building café in Uxbridge.
Our next full exhibition is from 3rd November to 16th November at the Cow Byre, to which everyone is warmly invited.
VOICES IN ACCORD reported that they continue to give concerts and to raise funds for such as Head trauma and brain tumours and had held concerts at Hillingdon Methodist Church Flower Festival and St Mary’s Church
PASTICHE THEATRE COMPANY A forthcoming show Musical Mixup of Songs from the Shows to be held at the Compass 11,12th and 13th October and have plans for staging Witches of Eastwick in March next year.
HILLINGDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Concert on 12th October at Winston Churchill, featuring Beethoven’s 5th symphony and including a Trumpet Solo from a visiting artist. The Concert is being sponsored by London Brass Repairs and Renovations.
EMBROIDERERS GUILD Numbers have reduced considerably since Covid with Townswomen’s Guild being particularly affected. The Choir has disbanded due to cost of hiring an accompanist and increased room hire. The Guild to hold a special day to show how to make crafts .
HILLINGDON CHAMBER CHOIR The Chamber Choir to perform Mozart’s Coronation Mass at St Leonards on 7th December at 6pm
UXBRIDGE CHOR to perform John Rutter’s Magnificat and Carols at St Andrews Church, Uxbridge on 14th December at 3.30
UXBRIDGE YOUTH CHOIR to be formed for 7 to 13 year olds meeting at 4.30 on Wednesdays at St.Matthews
SOUTHLANDS ARTS CENTRE A month long Literary Festival has just begun with visits from published authors, readings, a Writers Competition for Adults and under 18s. The Pop Up Café is proving popular at Weekends and the Walled Garden has received support from the Hillingdon Council Green Team who have removed box hedging infected with box blight caterpillars and an ancient wall is to be repaired and reinstated. Pumpkins grown in the garden and in private gardens will be the basis of a Pumpkin Palooza – games, crafts and food for children and adults culminating in a Prize Winners event on the 26th October. An evening of Piano, Poetry and Prose to be held on 19th October.
ARGOSY PLAYERS are now rehearsing Sleeping Beauty the pantomime to be produced at Winston Churchill Hall in January and will have a stall at Ickenham Festival on 6th December
7. DATES OF QUARTERLY NETWORKING MEETINGS in 2025
Monday, 13TH January, Monday 14th April, AGM Tuesday 15th July and Quarterly and Monday 13th October. As many of the provisional dates are Monday please let us know if this is a particularly difficult day for your society and we will endeavour to change them.