New Wolverhampton Central Youth Theatre home is scuppered
Wolverhampton's Central Youth Theatre say hopes of reviving a plan to move into a derelict city centre building are scuppered by a funding shortfall.
The group was set to benefit from £384,000 from the Arts Council to develop 10,000 sq ft of the former Co-operative Store building on Lichfield Street, creating a permanent home for the company.
But the YMCA Black Country Group then unveiled £6 million plans to transform the site into an arts centre and apartments - leaving the CYT having to hand back its grant after a deadline to use it exceeded.
The plan by the YMCA, which is negotiating a deal to control development at the property, retains many features which had been sought by CYT but in a revised layout.
And the homeless charity is keen for CYT to be included and has offered to meet the group's trustees.
CYT Director Jane Ward said a meeting may take place but concerns remained over funding having lost the Arts Council grant.
"The fact remains that at the moment we have lost the funding," she said.
"That, for us, is a key problem. We may potentially meet with the YMCA again to hear their ideas but they would have to have better ideas to what they had previously.
"At the moment I am not confident we could secure the level of funding needed against the revised scheme.
"For us the devastation of going back to square one again when we thought all the way along the plan was in place, that requires a lot of effort if we were to rebuild the scheme.
"We would have to convince funders it would work a second time. It is about the confidence of all those people who would be investing."
The former Co-operative Store building has been largely derelict for 30 years.
The YMCA's latest plans for it include three theatre studios, a large storage area for costumes, a film editing suite, stage making and dress making areas which could be for the CYT. The YMCA has also offered to help YCA secure funding.
In addition the building would house spaces for two social enterprises, meeting rooms which could be used by community groups and 63 apartments on the building's upper floors.
Steve Clay, Chief Executive of the YMCA Black Country Group, said it would be a similar project to the homeless charity's Western Gateway site in West Bromwich which acts as a base to theatre and dance promoters, Black Country Touring.
