Welsh Government supports new arts hub with £780,000 award
The Welsh Government has awarded Swansea Council £780,000 in Transforming Towns grant funding to renovate a long-term vacant building into a vibrant arts and culture centre.
The former JT Morgan department store has been vacant for more than 15 years and this renovation will transform it into a multi-purpose arts centre.
Elysium Art Limited, an artist led organisation, is delivering the project to support and promote the arts in Swansea and beyond.
The project will create a new cultural destination in Swansea city centre, helping to regenerate the area and attract more visitors.
Once renovated, the first and second floors will be used as lettable studio space for artists, with the ground floor being used for a gallery, meeting spaces and a café.
The basement refurbishment will provide additional studio space, storage and potentially a small cinema.
Commitment
The Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, recently visited the building: “This investment perfectly aligns with our Programme for Government commitments to make our towns and cities better places to live and work, while tackling the issue of empty buildings.
“By breathing new life into this disused space, we’re not only enhancing Swansea’s cultural offering but also creating opportunities for local artists and generating increased footfall that will benefit other businesses in the city centre.
“Our Transforming Towns funding is about supporting communities to reimagine their urban spaces, and this project is an excellent example of how strategic investment can deliver multiple benefits.”
Works are already underway and the first and second floors are expected to be completed by the summer.
Transformation
Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart said: “It’s fantastic that we can work with developers, businesses and other organisations to invest Welsh Government Transforming Towns grant funding across our city.
“The council-driven £1bn regeneration programme is powering ahead – and projects such as Elysium Art at the former JT Morgan and Y Storfa at the former BHS are great examples of that.
“Other notable advances coming soon include the transformation of Castle Square into a greener more welcoming public focal point and the opening of the groundbreaking Biophilic Living building between The Kingsway and Oxford Street.”
The Cabinet Secretary also visited Y Storfa, the former BHS department store on Oxford Street, which is set to become a public services hub, providing access to essential council services and hosting a range of other services including the West Glamorgan Archive Service and external partners including Citizens’ Advice.
The project has received more than £13m in both loan and grant funding from the Welsh Government.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Swansea used to have a first class Music service in schools ,this has been systematically dismantled and dumbed down at the instigation of the Council to the point of embarrassing and actually pointless it’s so poor .
There is a huge natural talent for music in Wales which should be encouraged, but no longer in Swansea , however they see fit to spend this sort of money on an ‘Arts hub’ .
Music has many educational benefits in schools, the Council have their priorities wrong .
It’s fantastic to see such a wonderful building brought back to life. However, to have a group such as the Elysium will only further deteriorate the arts and culture community in Swansea. Elysium and others such as Volcais already drenched in gender ideology and because of this women don’t feel able to access its events. Mixed sex toilets, erasing women who complain and promoting trans ideology as if its life depended on it. Promoting anti semitic propaganda too. Now we see why. Welsh Government funding will only strengthen this stance. I for one am dreading it.
Wow! The magic money tree comes into play yet again!