North Lanarkshire’s recently opened Lanternhouse welcomed Stuart McDonald MP through its doors for a tour of the performing arts venue.
The politician who represents the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East constituency at Westminster met the Cumbernauld Theatre Trust team and was accompanied on a tour of the new building and its state-of-the-art facilities by Sarah Price, CEO of Cumbernauld Trust, Trust board member Alex Linkston and other members of the theatre team.
Located on the Cumbernauld Academy campus, Lanternhouse houses two performance spaces – a 300-seat auditorium and a studio theatre and dance studio.
It opened its doors to the public in October this year with an Autumn Season of theatre, dance, music, comedy and an inclusive programme of creative learning activities.
Cumbernauld Theatre Trust have already been responsible for producing three new shows at the venue; Romeo and Juliet, Robin Hood, and the co-production of Hibernate.
The theatre’s programme also includes a number of socially engaged arts projects, some already underway and many planned to increase access to a variety of artistic activities including photography, contemporary dance and creative writing, led by professional artists.
Stuart McDonald MP said: “I was delighted to visit Cumbernauld Theatre and tour the terrific new Lanternhouse venue. As well as an exciting programme of performances already in place, they have great plans for getting the local community into the venue. I’m sure it will be a cultural beacon for the town for many years to come.”
Sarah Price, Chief Executive of Cumbernauld Theatre Trust, said: “The launch of Lanternhouse this season has been a fantastic success and, despite set-backs from Covid-19, our community has been generous in their support, eager to get involved, keen to take part in our programme and to lead activities.
“Lanternhouse already feels like the community’s cultural home, and we are so thankful for the support we have had to bring this facility to our audiences.
“In three months, we have produced three new theatre shows. These new works, which were created specifically for our community, have been presented alongside new music, traditional folk, visiting Theatre, singer-songwriters and comedy nights welcoming performers from across Scotland, supporting the cultural economy and bringing fun and entertainment back into our lives.
“We have supported contemporary visual artists such as Nicole Stead, Jim Colquhoun and Murray Wason working in residence to deliver a number of socially engaged projects with groups from the community, building creative confidence and enabling reflective, creative self-expression.
“We have devised and delivered a range of participatory classes in theatre and performance making skills for young people and adults, sensory play for younger children and we are continually creating opportunities for everyone to take part.
“As we now look ahead to 2022, we are eager to engage and work alongside the community to deliver a vibrant, inclusive and relevant cultural programme for Cumbernauld and the surrounding communities.”
For bookings and more information visit: www.lanternhousearts.org or telephone the Box Office on 01236 732887.
You can also download a brochure from the website.
**Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did yo u know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and share.
