Council to launch membership scheme as it vows to keep running Morecambe arts venue

The news means the council can reverse plans made earlier this year, as part of a scheme to save £2.4m, to end its funding for The Platform from April 1 2024, and instead seek a third party to operate and underwrite the cost of running the venue.

This would have saved the council around £150,000 a year.

However, a call for expressions of interest from third-party operators resulted in just three proposals, and following further discussions, the council now intends to continue running the venue itself under a different operating model that will be developed in partnership with staff.

Local councillors from across Morecambe and Heysham also made a strong case for The Platform and for keeping it in-house.

David Whittaker, Labour councillor for West End, led a coordinated response from the councillors across the political spectrum in Morecambe and neighbouring wards, who all signed a letter in support of the new model, which keeps the operation of the Platform in-house, meaning current staff can continue in their roles.

Lizzi Collinge, Labour parliamentary candidate for Morecambe and Lunesdale, also threw her weight behind the campaign.

The new model will continue the venue’s core purpose of providing entertainment, while increasing income and reducing costs.

It will operate a membership scheme similar to those run by the Dukes and the Grand Theatre in Lancaster.

People can become members of the Platform, supporting the venue and giving it a reliable source of income. In return, they will receive discounted tickets for events.

The team at the Platform will also be supporting the creation of a ‘Friends of the Platform’ group to coordinate fundraising activities and grants bids.

These activities should generate tens of thousands of pounds of additional revenue to safeguard the venue as the profile of Morecambe grows as a destination with the advent of the Eden Project.

This new approach will keep the operation of the Platform in-house, continuing to employ the existing team of council employees from the local community.

It should mean the venue will no longer need to rely on £150,000 annual funding from residents’ council taxes, helping councillors and council officers to prioritise essential services like refuse collection and parks maintenance.

If, in the future, the Platform makes a profit, these additional funds can be invested back into the venue or returned to the council to provide more and improved services for residents.

Julie Brown, chair of Lancaster Arts Partnership, said: “It's great news that the Platform will remain as a venue operated by the city council.

"The Platform is much-loved as a performance venue and as a resource for the district's arts community, and it is reassuring that the city council sees the value of its investment into the venue.

"I look forward to supporting the Platform team in any way that I can, as they develop their operating model going forward.”

Information about how to become a Platform member and how to get involved in the Friends of the Platform group will be available soon.

Coun Catherine Potter, cabinet member with responsibility for the visitor economy, community wealth building and culture, who has advocated for The Platform since she was elected to the council in May, said: “The council has always wanted to see The Platform remain open and to secure a sustainable future for the building.

“It was right to see if this could be achieved through a third-party operator to reduce the cost to the council of running the building, but it has become clear that the better option is for us to continue running it ourselves.

“Through discussions with staff it is clear that they have a passion for the venue which is unmatched and I’m excited to see their ideas for a new operating model and work with them to ensure the venue reaches its full potential.”