There has rightly been a significant local and national interest following news that the historic Oldham Coliseum theatre could be lost forever.
As a local MP I committed to doing all I can to help secure its future, and I meant it. Yesterday I held meetings with Oldham Council and Debbie Abrahams MP (Oldham East & Saddleworth) to discuss the current threat, and how it reached the point of crisis ahead of its planned move to a new venue in the town centre.
Further meetings are taking place next Monday with Arts Council England and Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sports, and neighbouring MP Lucy Powell where we will be seeking support to secure the immediate future of the theatre.
We know how important this is, not just for the place it has in all our hearts, with treasured memories and the family outing to the panto, but also the appreciation that to have a producing theatre is something unique Oldham has been proud of. These theatres are as critical to the arts as grassroots programmes are to football in the UK, and it should be seen and valued as such.
This will not be an easy fight, and there will be many barriers in the way of securing its long-term future, but we owe it to the town to do all we all.
We need to harness the outpouring of support locally and beyond as a rallying call, and we need help from government and arts bodies to see a positive outcome.
A joint statement from me with Debbie Abrahams, and Cllr Chadderton is below.
The Coliseum has been the jewel in the crown of Oldham’s cultural offer since 1885, the outpouring of support from the people of Oldham and the countless celebrities whose careers were born at the theatre are testament to that.
Earlier this week the theatre whose history dates back to 1885 announced that it would be shutting its doors at the end of March after losing its Art’s Council funding
This is more than a fight for one town, or one theatre, towns like ours depend on cultural organisations like the Coliseum.
We will fight unreservedly for a thriving, innovative Coliseum theatre production company which is the beating heart of Oldham’s cultural offer. We will be demanding that the government, Arts Council England, and others work with us to secure a sustainable future for this, now and for generations to come.
Images: Jim McMahon (Oldham) 2023. Terms: http://shorturl.at/CHORZ
Jim McMahon OBE MP 