Outpouring of support for Save St James campaign

The community and entertainment venue will have to shut next year unless further funding is found.

The amendment proposed by Education, Sport & Culture president Andrea Dudley-Owen and seconded by its vice-president Sam Haskins asks for an additional £151,000 for next year. It is one of 19 now on the agenda for next week’s Budget meeting.

They said this would secure the immediate future of St James and that discussions were under way and would continue between their committee and St James to ensure there was a sustainable plan in place to secure the venue's longer-term future.

ESC has already argued for an increased budget for the concert hall, but this was not backed by Policy & Resources.

St James director Jon Bisson said there had been a fantastic reaction from islanders since it launched a campaign to save the venue late last week.

‘We have had a real outpouring of support and 30 or 40 new members join,’ he said.

‘And further it has promoted a very important debate about how the arts are funded in Guernsey.'

He added that the island could look at how the arts were funded in nearby jurisdictions.

Earlier this year the UK announced £150m. support for venues, from small pubs to function halls.

Jersey has committed £11.5m. to revamping its Opera House, as well as guaranteeing annual funding of £500,000.

Mr Bisson said this was a recognition of the financial, as well as the cultural, contribution venues made.

He also referenced the success that Jersey’s art scene had enjoyed since the island committed 1% of its GDP to supporting the sector.

‘That has proved to be a fantastic investment with amazing results exceeding tourism and attendance predictions,’ he said.

‘The arts are then tied to the success of the island as a whole.

‘If we do a good job, it improves the economy of the island as a whole, and we get more funding.’

The venue put on over 50 large scale events and six large community events last year and saw over 27,000 people come through its doors.

He said St James saw itself as more of a cultural centre than just a venue, as it allowed some free events to take place that would otherwise not have a home.

‘Take the chess championship as an example.

‘No one wanted to see that shut after 44 years and we gave it a temporary home. Classical music concerts have seen dwindling audiences and we have been trying to grow them again.

‘If that original funding had kept track with inflation we would have received more than an extra £1m. and would now have enough reserves to survive the pinch,’ he said.

‘In tough times there is always the temptation to cut the low hanging fruit.’

n More details on the St James fundraising campaign are at www.stjames.gg/save-stj