Monday night marked a wonderful milestone not just in our campaign but for the whole town and arts community as the announcement was made that our campaign had been successful and the Fairbottom Street theatre would reopen once again as Oldham Coliseum.
Actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, who has spearheaded our campaign alongside her husband, writer Ian Kershaw, made the announcement with Council Leader Arooj Shah as a street party to celebrate the success unfolded.
An emotional Julie said: "Your kisses came in many forms. They've come in the form of petitions signed, stickers designed and brandished, banners held aloft, meetings attended, letters fired off to your MPs, email after email to your council. Your kisses have come in the form of a dogged and diverse bunch of people meeting fortnightly in a room above Valentino's restaurant in Oldham town centre."
She went on to give thanks to the board of the Coliseum for continuing to keep its name and legacy alive and provide arts and culture to the town whilst Fairbottom Street has been closed. The 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' star thanked equity and reminded the crowd that the Coliseum was not just a place of enjoyment but of employment. She thanked the Arts council as well as Oldham council, particularly councillor Arooj Shah and MP Jim McMahon.
She continued: "Thank you for your dogged determination, passion and persistence, this street party is for you. I have the huge honour of being able to tell all of you assembled here tonight that the Oldham Coliseum, 'the OG', Fairbottom Street will be open for Panto 2025."
After joking that if the crowd knew a politician was about to speak, they might quickly disperse, Cllr Arooj Shah thanked the officers at the council and the crowd of people who had supported the Coliseum.
She said: "First of all I want to thank the Save the Oldham Coliseum group and in particular, Julie and Ian. When I first met them I was blown away by their positivity, enthusiasm and their can-do attitude. They were so passionate about how important the theatre was for this town and how concerned they were about the future of theatre in this town. They know how important it is in raising ambitions, raising aspirations, inspiring creativity and just bringing people together. I'm so glad, although I was terrified, that you did come into my office that day to tell me exactly what you thought, and trust me they told me what they thought! I'm so glad that we were able to continue this work together."
She continued to praise the community as she said: "Today is about the people of Oldham who, since the doors of this building closed, have shown their passion for arts. The outcry following the closure of this building was truly breath-taking. I couldn't walk into any shop, any home or any office without people telling me about their love for this place. This place was not just a theatre to people, it was the heart of this community, the heart of this very place we call Oldham."
Over 100 people packed out Fairbottom Street to hear the announcement and were kept entertained throughout the evening with theatre, music and dancing. Food was also provided by Valentino’s who have been hosting the campaign group every other Tuesday as we held meetings to discuss our next steps.
Our campaign has seen a group of strangers come together, united in grief over the loss of such an iconic institution. Together we have led a positive and creative campaign to get it back. We have taken to the streets as part of a Panto flash mob, created an emotional film which roped in many of the famous faces who honed their craft on the Coli stage. We shared pizza and pasta, laughter and tears, every other Tuesday. We showed the politicians what the coliseum was capable of and what it meant to so many, not just in Oldham but around the country.
We’re thankful to Arroj Shah, those working at the council and Jim McMahon MP for listening to the people and acting accordingly. We are thankful to the new board of Oldham Coliseum who have worked tirelessly to preserve the Coliseum name and continue to bring theatre to the people of Oldham. We look forward to working alongside them in the coming weeks, months and years!
Roll on Panto 2025!
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