Theatre company to move homes

The city’s leading theatre company is to move home as part of plans to open a new multi-million-pound performing arts venue.

Worcester Theatres will move from its home at the city’s Swan Theatre to the soon-to-be regenerated Scala Theatre as part of multi-million-pound regeneration work by the city council.

The centrepiece of the work is the conversion of the former listed theatre and neighbouring Corn Exchange into a new performing arts venue and will replace the Swan Theatre.

Worcester Theatres will make the move from the Swan Theatre to the new venue in Angel Place once the work has been carried out.

Sarah-Jane Morgan, chief executive of Worcester Theatres, said the team was sad to be leaving the Swan Theatre but excited to be moving to a new home.

“Worcester Theatres are delighted to be working with the city council on the redevelopment of the Scala Theatre and Corn Exchange,” she said.

“The council’s aspirations to provide a fabulous new cultural venue for the city offers our organisation the ability to develop ambitious plans to bring new artists and fresh professional programming to Worcester, in turn ensuring we are offering more opportunities and engaging with a wider cross-section of the community in years to come.

“Whilst our team will be incredibly sad to leave the Swan Theatre, which has served both our organisation and others so well over the past decades, we recognise that the new facility will provide our team and all those who engage with the arts a venue future-proofed for decades to come.”

The work, which is being carried in part by the almost £18 million awarded to the city from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, will see the grade II-listed Scala Theatre and Corn Exchange buildings in Angel Street transformed into a new performing arts venue.

The neighbouring eyesore former Co-op supermarket would also be transformed into shops, restaurants and offices.

Cllr Marc Bayliss, leader of Worcester City Council, said the £17.9 million from the government would help give the city a new venue fit for the 21st century.

He said: “This new facility will not only enrich the lives of local people, but it will also increase foot fall to the north of the city centre and create many new jobs in the creative, construction, hospitality and retail sectors.”