The Garage Theatre in Wates House, long-time home to arts societies productions and earmarked for closure in ex-Provost Malcolm Grant’s Bloomsbury Masterplan, is to be replaced by an electricity substation.
The Bartlett School of Architecture has been eyeing up the Garage for years, and now it’s finally going ahead with the plan to provide more teaching space for the school. Unfortunately UCL Estates has failed to find a suitable replacement venue, meaning that the only options for future performances are hiring the 535 seat Bloomsbury Theatre, unaffordable for most societies, or finding an external venue.
In the past, an unwritten rule has seen Estates find replacement sites for any Union property taken away. Activities and Events Officer Doris Chen has been in negotiation to find a replacement for the Garage, but so far the best suggestions are a section of the Bloomsbury Fitness gym, involving the audience walking through the weights section, or a £2million transformation of the Harry Massey Lecture Theatre, which is both financially unfeasible and likely to be strongly opposed by the Physics department.
In a recent meeting, UCLU’s General Manager David Squires noted the lack of communication between UCL Estates and the union ‘regarding key losses to some of UCLU’s buildings.’ Kate Shotliff, President of Stage Crew Society, told The Cheese Grater that losing the Garage could be detrimental for the arts community at UCL, especially smaller societies.
Currently a petition to save the Garage has almost 1000 signatures, although supporters admit that the Garage can’t continue in its current home, and it will be a year before any new venue is up and running, even if one is found soon.