Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond, has announced £1.6m in capital investment for Studio 144, Southampton’s ambitious arts venue, in his Autumn Budget Statement.
Due to open in spring 2017, Studio 144 will bring two world-class arts organisations – NST, Nuffield Southampton Theatres and the John Hansard Gallery – from the Highfield Campus of the University into the heart of the city centre for the first time, together with media and film specialists City Eye.
The venue, on Guildhall Square, is situated alongside the City Art Gallery, SeaCity Museum, Showcase Gallery and the O2 Guildhall, and will form the heart of the city’s burgeoning cultural quarter.
Studio 144 and its partners also represent a new centre for the development of creative skills including work-based training for local communities. It will be a hub and meeting place for small and medium enterprises, as well as the student population. Encouraging shared audience experiences, inspirations and resources, the centre will be a key driver for the continued growth in outstanding artistic output in the city for years to come.
Louise Coysh, Associate Director, Arts and Culture at the University commented:
We’re delighted by the Chancellor’s vote of confidence in Studio 144 which will make a significant contribution the city’s economic viability and play a major role in bringing different communities together. Our ongoing involvement in Studio 144 will further our aim to enable the widest possible audiences access to world-class art, music and theatre, through the John Hansard Gallery, Turner Sims concert hall and NST Nuffield Southampton Theatres.
Studio 144 will employ around 100 staff and, with an anticipated joint annual turnover of over £3m, could attract around 350,000 people a year. It is estimated that the development could also bring an additional £21m of visitor spend into the city each year.
