Worthing art gallery facing 'a bit of uncertainty' amid consultation to 'future-proof' venture

In December, Worthing Borough Council appealed to the ‘artistic community’ to find innovative ways to ensure that Colonnade House in Warwick Street ‘continues to act as a successful hub for the town’s creatives for years to come’.

The council said it would work with the Adur & Worthing Trust, over the next few months, to ‘secure additional funding’ to continue Colonnade House’s ‘current operating model’ as well as ‘exploring new partnerships’ with other trusts, benefactors or organisations.

In an e-mail newsletter, Colonnade House said it will now hold a consultation week between Monday, January 13 and Saturday 18th.

“As you will have seen from the council press release and from us on our social media, we're starting off the new year with a bit of uncertainty,” the newsletter read.

"We're currently working hard at developing alternative modes of delivery that will help to future-proof the project, but we also need your help.

"We're going to be running a consultation week starting the 13th of January to help us find a way forward and we would love for you to be a part of it.

"It would be incredibly valuable to have the creative minds of the community involved to develop what's next for Colonnade House and the consultation week will be a time for us to gather feedback, as well as finding out what you would like for the future of culture and creativity in the town.”

The art gallery will be ‘releasing more details about the week soon’ and asked people to ‘please stay tuned for more’, adding: “We hope that you'll be able to join us.”

Working in partnership with the Adur & Worthing Trust, in 2016, the council transformed the historic Warwick Street building into a ‘welcoming multipurpose venue’. It provides affordable workspaces for the creative community and galleries that ‘showcase the work of local, regional and national artists’, the council said.

‘Like many local councils’, Worthing Borough Council is facing ‘tough pressures due to significant reductions’ in the central government grant over many years as well as challenges from inflation and cost of living pressures.

It is now exploring ways to work with the community to ‘ensure the long-term success of cultural projects in the town’.

Dom Ford, Worthing’s cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure, said Colonnade House is ‘extremely important to the local creative community’.

He added: “We are committed to working together with the community to find a way to ensure that it continues to thrive for years to come.”

The council will keep residents updated on how to get involved on its social media channels and via Colonnade House’s newsletter, which you can sign up for here: colonnadehouse.co.uk/contact/.