Status quo retained at St Mary-in-the-Castle
Barbara Rogers, current manager of St Mary in the Castle has been granted another year at the helm.
But for now Ms Rogers, incumbent at St Mary-in-the-Castle for the last two and a half years, is free to carry on providing a range of cultural events such as art shows and concerts at the popular venue on the Hastings sea-front.
“The situation has now been resolved fairly satisfactorily, now that we’ve got an agreement to stay until the end of August 2012,” she told HOT. “That gives us more leeway to book future events, and we’re especially interested in events for the short term, and also regular weekly and monthly events.”
Anyone for carols?
“I’m particularly pleased because we’ll be able to get the Christmas carol concert, which otherwise might have had nowhere to go.”
The Council is also allowing two upstairs offices to be sublet. These are suitable places for creative people looking for a quiet work-space, Ms Rogers says.
Clarification of the immediate future of St Mary-in-the-Castle became urgent after Hastings Trust learned last week that its bid for lottery funding for its Myplace proposal for St Mary-in-the-Castle had failed.
“Obviously we’re very disappointed at the failure of the Myplace bid,” said Mel Bonney-Kane, director of Hastings Trust. “But we are happy that the Council has extended Barbara’s tenure and we are sorry that the delays, which were not down to us or any other partner, have caused uncertainty over the future of the building.”
A fuller statement will follow shortly, Ms Bonney-Kane said.
Article by Nick Terdre, 28 July 2011
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