Katherine Brook
THE Government of Gibraltar has unveiled plans to create a new National Theatre and Cultural Centre, at the John Mackintosh Hall complex.
The project represents a huge milestone for the cultural community, which has been promised a new theatre since the late 1990s.
With the goal to bring more cultural facilities to Gibraltar, the National Theatre will not only seat up to 1,000 people but also include a new National Public Library and multi-purpose performing arts studio.
The proposal to redesign, build and expand this location is in line with the government’s strategic plan for Culture and the Arts. However, given the ‘profound and lasting effect’ of Covid-19 on the community, the Government is ‘unable to allocate the funds at this time that the project would require to achieve the standards Gibraltar expects’.
Therefore, it has created a Gibraltar National Theatre Foundation, as a means of raising the funds to make the project a reality.
Minister of Culture, John Cortes, said: “I am excited about this project. Gibraltar has had a rich artistic tradition since the early 19th century and today thousands of people are involved in the performing arts. We have world champions, professional performers in the West End, professional artists, actors and musicians abroad and they and Gibraltar deserve this project, which will have ramifications throughout the community.”
The Gibraltar National Theatre Foundation will have a Board of Trustees, chaired by the Minister of Culture, whose objective will be to raise the necessary funds to carry out this project. The Governor, Sir David Steele, has agreed to be the Honorary Chairman of the Trust.
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