Records of Bedford Theatre Project

The collection contains the records of the working party. It documents the preliminary policy decisions to build a theatre and the active planning thereafter. The working party was concerned mainly with two considerations - the design of the theatre and the appeal for funds. For the sake of convenience these are dealt with in turn.

INDEX

900/1 Preliminary planning 1973

900/2 Working party meetings 1973-1975

900/3 Director's reports1973-1975

900/4 Siting/design of theatre 1973-1974

900/5 Appeals for funds 1973-1976

Records of Bedford Threatre Project, received from The Hon. Hugh de B. Lawson Johnston, Woodleys, Melchbourne, Bedford, MK44 1A.

The Bedford Theatre Project aimed to establish a professional repertory theatre company in Bedford and to provide suitable accommodation for such a company. In December 1972 Bedford Borough Council agreed to support this proposal. In April 1973 a broadly based working party, (including representatives of the Borough and County Councils and a number of interested private individuals), was established under the chairmanship of The Hon. Hugh de B. Lawson Johnston. By July 1973 John Adams had been appointed director of the Project. Bedford Borough Council provided a site on Duck Mill Lane. Support was also forthcoming from both The Arts Council and BedfordshireCounty Council. The Project was shelved when the working party disbanded in 1975 due to the failure of the Project's fund-raising appeals strategy to raise sufficient additional funds.