Opera House team left in the dark over refurb

Monday 17 January 2022

The Opera House's Chairman is calling for clarity from the Government on the nature and timeline of works to the theatre, claiming that the theatre's staff have been cut out of the process.

Pierre Horsfall says it is vital that the Opera House's team are kept informed, so that shows can be scheduled and staff recruited in advance of a reopening, but that no information from Government has been forthcoming.

Jersey Opera House has been closed since the start of the pandemic and received £2.2m for its refurbishment and maintenance as part of the first tranche of the Fiscal Stimulus Fund last year.

However, despite the purpose of the fund being to support projects that would come to fruition by the end of 2021 in order to stimulate the covid-hit economy, Express understands work only started recently - nearly nine months after the grant was announced. 

It appears the Government only initiated the tender process to find a building company able to carry out “the refurbishment, maintenance and essential repair projects” on both the Jersey Opera House and Jersey Arts Centre buildings in November 2021, with the expression of interest window concluding on 22 November.

This was despite numerous pleas from local performers and the Performing Arts Development Group to get the project going again for the benefit of their community and the wider island.

Details contained in the tender documents say the works would include “the alterations, adaptations, refurbishment, and replacement” of electrical, mechanical and plumbing installations); alarm systems, and windows as well as repairs to the walls, external finishes and the replacement of arts and other performance-related installations. 

“Essential improvements to enable better access and movement of those with impairments” was also listed.

The webpage stated the works would start “early in 2022 and aim to be completed by summer 2022”.

Pictured: The Opera House has been closed for nearly two years.

The documents added that the goal of the Fiscal Stimulus Fund was to “stimulate the local economy and deliver social value outcomes focussed within the island” and warned potential suppliers they would be “challenged” to demonstrate the local economic benefits as a part of the procurement. 

As part of the projects, the Government stated they were seeking to appoint an integrated design team to provide all architectural, structural/civil engineering, building services engineering and heritage advisory services associated with the works. 

Pierre Horsfall, the Opera House's Chairman, said the Government had done little to keep his team informed. He said he knew nothing about the works taking place, except from the fact it currently involves repairing the roof.

“The refurbishment is done by the Government, I do not even get to see what they are doing,” he said. “We have been trying to make it happen for nearly two years now, at least a-year-and-a-half, but I do not know what’s happening.”

Mr Horsfall explained the building belongs to the Government with the board of directors at Jersey Opera House tasked with putting shows on. This task is however currently difficult as the directors have not been told when the work might be finished.

Pictured: “Nobody can prepares to put a show on the stage until they know the stage is going to be ready to have them.”

“We have no idea as to when the refurbishment might be completed,” the Chairman said. 

“To reopen it, we’ve got to book some performances, some shows, we cannot do that without giving companies a date. We are in limbo.”

Mr Horsfall said he has been in talks with the Government to make the case for clarity, especially since there will be a team of 15 to fill and another 15 volunteers to find to help ensure the safety of audiences before the first performance.

“Apart from anything else, we have no staff,” he added. “We have to start recruiting all sorts of staff in different jobs because they are all gone, the only ones left are the technicians.”

The lack of clarity over the venue reopening could prevent any bookings, Mr Horsfall said. 

“If the show is local, it would take less time than if it was one coming from the UK but nobody is going to go into rehearsals if there’s the possibility the show might not be there,” he explained.

“It costs money, even for the local companies. They are not going to take a chance that it might not be open... Nobody can prepares to put a show on the stage until they know the stage is going to be ready to have them.”