Arts centre trustees signed gagging order under threat of eviction

Trustees of an East London arts centre have accepted a financial settlement under threat of eviction from their council owned building.

Stratford Circus Arts Centre was forced out of its base of 10 years in November so that Newham Council Mayor Rokshana Fiaz could deliver on a 2018 pledge to double the number of 'youth zones' in the borough.

This has been the subject of protests, with performers' union Equity lobbying for Newham Council to guarantee £460,000 in arts funding: "It is appalling that Newham is still considering weeks on, without proper engagement or negotiation with the trade unions what should happen with these spaces," General Secretary Paul Fleming said at a recent demonstration.

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The notice of eviction came as a shock to Stratford Arts Trust, which had been in talks to secure the lease.

Amid a breakdown in relations with the council, it is understood the trust considered a legal challenge but thought the law would fall on the side of the landlord.

Trustees accepted a modest financial settlement, the exact sum of which they cannot disclose.

While it claims to have "engaged with" more than 30 former users of the facility, the council was "not required to consult, nor did consult" on the removal, according to information obtained by ArtsProfessional under the Freedom of Information Act.

The council has been in discussion with Equity – two meetings were held last year – but talks have not been productive.

Newham Council is now seeking a cultural partner to deliver its flagship youth zone, described as "a hub of creative experiences and opportunities for young people, offering them the best of training, mentoring and development in one of the fastest growing sectors in London".

Theatre Royal Stratford East, the caretaker operator of Stratford Circus' former building, is understood to be under consideration.

Funding lost

Equity says the long-announced plan to turn Stratford Circus into a youth zone lost the borough £300,000 per year in arts council funding – "£300,000 that could have been spent on jobs and culture for a community badly hit by a pandemic".

"Instead the Mayor is robbing Peter to pay Paul: destroying local arts jobs to (re)create a youth arts service," a petition signed by more than 2,300 people reads.

"This is shortsighted to say the least."

Newham Council disagrees. £13.5m has been committed to developing the youth zones over three years, reflecting a long-term ambition to offer "enriching and empowering opportunities through an exciting curriculum anchored in culture, creativity and the arts".

Although the youth zones policy "changed the focus of the former Stratford Circus building to a flagship youth zone, it did not change the council’s commitment to… strengthen current creative and cultural partnerships, support new collaborations and increase capacity of local arts organisations wherever possible," an August letter from Councillor Carleene Lee-Phakoe reads.

However, the council says Government funding cuts and pandemic-related costs mean it cannot directly fund any of the building's previous occupants.

Community first

Newham, which has one of the lowest cultural participation rates in London, was recently selected as one of Arts Council England's priority places for investment.

The council welcomed ACE's support as it develops a new cultural strategy.

"ACE’s placed based approach reflects the importance we place on the value that creativity and culture has in improving the health, wellbeing and happiness for our residents which is a council priority," Mayor Fiaz said.

The council says it "made offers to open discussions exploring where we may be able to offer support" to arts groups that operated out of Stratford Circus.

"That opportunity for productive dialogue remains open as the programme continues to evolve."

But Equity argues a youth zone could be established without shutting down Stratford Circus, which had significant experience running youth drama.

"Of course we're in favour of youth services but we're also in favour of arts for all and professional paid work," Equity organiser James Ivens said.

Fleming added: "It's not their funding; it's our funding. This is our workplace; it is our community."