Derry's Millennium Forum to close for seven weeks later this year

Derry’s Millennium Forum will have, what it describes as a, “seven-week forced closure” this summer due to public realm works.

Speaking at Tuesday afternoon’s Derry City and Strabane District’s Business and Culture committee meeting, Paul Mason, general manager of the Forum, said: “That doesn’t mean the theatre is closing but it means we can’t put on any performances because they are closing Bank Place and none of the shows would be able to get up Bank Place to offload and put sets into the stage.”

“We will continue with our summer projects, although we want to do a lot of that in the community again this year,” he added.

“But it is going to cause us problems and it puts us on the back foot at the start because financially we don’t know where we’ll stand from a profit and loss point of view, having lost those seven weeks, with a number of large-scale productions that we were planning to put on.”

A report prepared for councillors at the meeting said the closure would result in “reduced programming, leading to a loss of income for the Millennium Forum during this period”.

It added that ongoing negotiations were between the Millennium Forum, Department for Communities officials, and the main contractor, FP McCann, to finalise the specific closure dates and address scheduling concerns.

The report continued: “In March 2023, Council’s Business and Culture committee members approved an extension of the Service Level Agreement between Council and the Millennium Forum for a further period of five years from 2023, subject to annual confirmation of budget and outputs.

“An independent economic impact study commissioned by the Millennium Forum in 2023 demonstrated the Forum’s contribution of £32.5 million to the local economy, achieving a return of £52.16 for every £1 of local authority funding. 

“The Forum delivers a diverse range of education, community, and development programmes within the venue and across the district, including Age and  Dementia Friendly initiatives such as Dementia Friendly tea dances, Moves and  Melodies, Memory Train, and the Act Your Age Drama Group, all promoting inclusion and participation. 

“Youth development is a cornerstone of its annual programme, with initiatives like the Summer Youth Musical Production (FAME) and the Interact Youth Arts Festival engaging over 400 young participants, showcasing the Forum’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent.”

It added that additional programmes like Energy Train and Feel Good Forum further “underscore the creative strengths of the region’s citizens and support the growth of Northern Ireland’s cultural sector”.

In addition: “The Forum generates over 90% of its turnover, exceeding £5 million, through earned income. 

“And, its social media presence continues to expand, with Facebook engagement reaching 48,000 visitors and a broader audience of nearly 3.7 million. Furthermore, 340,000 people used the building in the past year, reflecting its vital role in the community.”

Commenting on the Millennium Forum’s relationship with the community, Cllr Aisling Hutton (Sinn Féin) said it was a “safe place where people like to go”.

Cllr Hutton referred specifically to the youth forum, the health fairs and the tea dances. 

She added: “In relation to social prescribing, in my opinion, it is the answer when it comes to health and well-being and looking after people’s mental and emotional well-being as well, and if a GP can give you a prescription to go and dance in the Millennium Forum with your friends, we are on a win there, so congratulations to the Millennium Forum team.”