CULTURE CLUB
At a time when arts venues are facing extinction across the country, Cambridge is bucking the trend with a brand-new venue set to open this month. Located in Market Passage (at the site that once housed the Cambridge Arts Cinema and, more recently, B Bar), Town and Gown Pub & Theatre is set to bring edgy, exciting, ‘Fringe-style’ theatre to Cambridge, offering in-house productions and professional touring shows. The building has undergone a dramatic design overhaul, now sporting an attractive deep blue and gold facade, while inside, you’ll find the main mezzanine dining area, with its private booths and baby grand piano. There’s also an elegant balcony area for a more intimate dining experience, allowing you to drink in the theatre’s atmosphere while overlooking the venue. The crowning glory is the theatre itself. Designed to work for a diverse range of performance styles and layouts, it will play host to the very best musical theatre, professional touring fringe artists, cabaret and home- produced productions in the coming months. This year, theatres were among those hit with the news that they must close indefinitely, leaving workers both on and off the stage unsure when – or even whether – they would have a job to come back to. Many found themselves unable to apply for financial support packages, and some went from juggling several jobs to not being able to find work at all. Larger theatres, some of which reel in millions of pounds a year, have been able to garner government support, but many smaller, independent theatres have been left in the lurch. “It’s really important that we get the arts scene moving again soon, especially with panto season coming up,” says Karl Steele from the Town & Gown team. “The arts sector has been battered a bit, so we’d like to emerge as a support system to assist over the next few months. We’re lucky to be able to say that we’re opening a theatre rather than closing one!” The Town and Gown Pub & Theatre is set to open by the end of September, and the programme – which covers all performances across the rest of 2020 – is available online. Head to cambsedition.co.uk to read more about the theatre’s upcoming plans. townandgown.co.uk TAKE YOUR SEATS !
BECKIE REED AT BYARD ART Cambridgeshire-based artist Beckie Reed is unveiling her long-awaited solo show at Byard Art this month. Running from 10 September to 4 October, the exhibition showcases Beckie’s expressive and evocative treescapes, inspired by her meandering woodland wanders. The paintings have an alluring quality that draws the viewer in, offering a sense of ethereal escapism that captures the wildness and transience of the natural world. Beckie’s work is now exhibited and collected worldwide, and is sought after in creative capitals like New York, and as far afield as Hong Kong. Find out more about the exhibition on Byard Art’s website. byardart.co.uk
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