Professor Vanessa Toulmin unexpectedly became the Chair of the Morecambe Winter Gardens Theatre, a Grade 2* listed building, on the National Theatres at Risk listing, on Morecambe seafront in 2019. This wondrous testament to a time of seaside glories had been closed for over 40 years, faced numerous ownership issues and is now run by a group of volunteers. This talk will describe the journey from near bankruptcy and possession to winning the Kings Award for Voluntary Service in 2023, raising £4.4 Million funds to build a future for the Theatre and using her research expertise to bring life to a very old theatre.
From Ruin to Regeneration – Saving the Morecambe Winter Gardens Theatre
Thu 26 September, 5:30pm
60 minutes