The Granite City is blessed with a cultural sector that is a rich, vibrant tapestry – and running through it like a thread of gold is Aberdeen Arts Centre.
The Pepperpot Tower of this building on King Street has been a beacon for the arts in the city for literally generations.
And it is a true tragedy this icon is left fearing for its future over funding woes.
The Arts Centre’s abiding mission has always been to be a gateway into drama, dance, comedy, music and the transformational joy of creativity for people of all ages.
It isn’t just about staging shows to get bums in seats – as vital as that is. It’s also about letting people, young and old, discover a love of the arts, not just as spectators but as creatives themselves.
The centre’s summer schools and classes introduced countless kids to the magic of acting, singing, dancing and laughing.
It taught skills that extend beyond the stage into everyday life – confidence to express themselves, the discipline of teamwork and the shining idea that there is more to life than the humdrum.
Everyone has cherished memories of Aberdeen Arts Centre
It was and is home to the thriving and talented amateur theatre community of the city – Attic, Giz Giz, Phoenix, to name but a few – while bringing in touring shows and artists.
Everyone in Aberdeen has cherished memories of the Arts Centre. I have more than my fair share, be it knockabout pantos or watching the Princess of our house take her first steps on stage.
Back in the day, the driving force behind all of this was Annie Inglis, Aberdeen’s legendary first lady of theatre who founded the Aberdeen Arts Centre in 1963. She turned it into the much-loved icon it is today, changing the lives of thousands of children – and adults – along the way.
Fiercely protective of her beloved Arts Centre, Annie led a successful campaign to save it in 1998 when funding cuts threatened it with closure. She was very much the centre’s guiding light until her death in 2010.
Every pound is needed to secure future
Now Aberdeen Arts Centre is in need of the unflinching and unyielding spirit of Annie Inglis again.
As it battles to survive, the Arts Centre will need all the support we can give in its plea to raise £660,000 – hopefully, with movers and shakers in Aberdeen getting round a table to help it map a course to the long-term funding it requires.
Every pound is needed, so if ordinary folk who love the centre pitch in just a few quid each, it will go a long way to helping.
But the best way to protect this precious palace of dreams is to get your bums on those seats. Buy tickets for the shows, go and see things you might not normally bother with, tell your friends. Better yet, take your friends.
Because if the lights go out at King Street, then they will dim for all the arts in Aberdeen.
Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired.
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