Valley Community Theatre - A New Theatre for All

Welcome to our consultation about the exciting future of Valley Community Theatre

The Concept

We want to build on what we have already achieved with the community over the years to create an improved, thriving centre for the local area, that the whole of Netherley, Liverpool and the wider city-region can be proud of.

We want to create a place where people engage in activities that improve their quality of life; increase engagement in the arts; unlock their potential so that they can learn skills, get a job or a qualification.

We also want to provide spaces for people to meet and enjoy culture and create a new visitor destination for South Liverpool, boosting the economy and creating new jobs.

The Vision

On this page you will see photos of the first phase of our plans, including refurbishing the frontage of the building and the front of house area.

Our longer-term plans also include complete refurbishment of the centre, providing improved theatre/event space, an outdoor performance space, community rooms, a café/restaurant, new recording studios.

We want the centre to be more than just a theatre. Our ambitions are to deliver activities that people from all walks of life can enjoy.

For more information about our plans, including a video fly-through, see our website. More information about our ideas can also be found below.

How you can help

We would love to hear your feedback about our plans and about how you might like to get involved.

Please take 5 minutes to complete this survey. It really will help us shape our plans, as well as help us make the case for support to make our vision a reality.

If you have caring responsibilities and the person(s) you care for cannot complete this survey, you can complete this survey on your own behalf, as well as on behalf of the person(s) you care for. Just complete it multiple times.

Please also share this survey as widely as possible. The more people that complete the survey, the better.

The deadline for completing the survey is 5pm Friday 17th September. For more information about our plans, contact us on info@valleytheatre.co.uk or 0151 488 0364.

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Our aims and how we will achieve them

Our long-term aims are:

To be a central part of community life for people of all ages and abilities, bringing people together to improve lives
To promote increased engagement in the arts, particularly amongst those who face obstacles to doing so;
Promote opportunities for people to secure new skills, qualifications and employment;
To become a sustainable, thriving destination for South Liverpool

How we will achieve our aims

1. Bringing People Together to improve their quality of life

A transformed centre, with refurbished facilities, accessible to all, with public realm that is welcoming and attractive;
A varied timetable of creative classes and activities for the wider community to enjoy;
Dance classes for all ages;
Health promotion activities
A programme of healthy eating/cooking mentoring and support delivered in our newly refurbished cafe;
Specialist creative activities for people with disabilities;
Meeting room hire for local community groups;
Affordable office space for local community groups, social enterprises and agencies.
A venue for local groups to meet and work together to improve people’s lives.

2. Increasing engagement in the arts

Theatre groups for people of all ages;
Hosting a calendar of touring/visiting theatre;
Providing high quality and affordable rehearsal and recording space for local artists, choirs and musicians;
A flexible and accessible, high-quality performance space, with seating for up to 250 people;
A taster programme where local people are introduced to creative activities from guest experts;
Providing a rolling programme of art exhibitions, showcasing local talent as well as artwork from visiting artists;
A partnership programme where schools and community groups can access theatre space for their activities, as well as discounted tickets for main programme performances.

3. Unlocking potential

Providing learning, volunteering and training opportunities for people interested in the theatre and the creative industries, ranging from front of house, catering, set design, technical production, writing and acting;
Training and mentoring for aspiring musicians and artists, including managing and thriving within the business of theatre and the music industry;
A pathway programme where young people are linked with opportunities in local and national arts and theatre groups through a mentoring/referral/-on-boarding project;
An outreach programme that works with NEET young people and others that are excluded from opportunities, engaging them in theatre and creative activities.

4. A sustainable visitor destination

A high-quality café/restaurant/bar,
A cinema showing films and sporting events
A theatre programme and a programme of non-theatre events/concerts
Studios/rooms for hire by the community

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* 1. Who are you answering this survey for?

For myself

On behalf of a young person that I care for

On behalf of a person with disabilities that I care for

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* 2. Do you think that there are enough facilities locally to:

	Yes	No	Don't know
Support people to come together to improve their quality of life	Support people to come together to improve their quality of life Yes	Support people to come together to improve their quality of life No	Support people to come together to improve their quality of life Don't know
Increase people's engagement in the arts/culture	Increase people's engagement in the arts/culture Yes	Increase people's engagement in the arts/culture No	Increase people's engagement in the arts/culture Don't know
Unlock their potential	Unlock their potential Yes	Unlock their potential No	Unlock their potential Don't know
Learn new skills	Learn new skills Yes	Learn new skills No	Learn new skills Don't know
Provide job opportunities for local people	Provide job opportunities for local people Yes	Provide job opportunities for local people No	Provide job opportunities for local people Don't know
Help improve health	Help improve health Yes	Help improve health No	Help improve health Don't know

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* 3. If you have answered no above, what would you say are the main reasons? Tick all that apply.

Other venues are too far away

Other venues are too expensive

Other venues are not approachable to local people

Other venues do not offer the range of services offered by Valley Community Theatre

Other venues are full/too busy

Other venues do not offer the services that I would like/need

There are not enough suitable facilities locally

What other reasons/factors? Tell us here.

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* 4. What activities do you/have you or the person you care for accessed at the centre? Tick all that apply.

Adult theatre group

Young person's theatre group

Attended a one off theatre performance/live show

Attended a festival

Educational programmes

Cafe

Recording studio

Dance classes

Photography studio

Daisy UK activities

Other (please specify)

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* 5. Under normal circumstances, how often would you access activities at Valley Community Theatre?

At least once a week

1-3 times a month

Occasionally

I have never used the centre before

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* 6. What prevents you from accessing activities more often? Tick all that apply.

The building is not as welcoming as it could be

The building is not as accessible as it could be

The building is too far away from me

I don't know enough about what activities are going on at the centre

The activities are not relevant/interesting to me

The activities are too expensive for me

Other (please specify)

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* 7. What impact would you say Covid-19 has had on you or the person you are completing this survey for?

	Made things better	Had NO impact	Made things worse
Mental health (including stress/anxiety)	Mental health (including stress/anxiety) Made things better	Mental health (including stress/anxiety) Had NO impact	Mental health (including stress/anxiety) Made things worse
Physical health	Physical health Made things better	Physical health Had NO impact	Physical health Made things worse
Community connections	Community connections Made things better	Community connections Had NO impact	Community connections Made things worse
Level of involvement in community activity	Level of involvement in community activity Made things better	Level of involvement in community activity Had NO impact	Level of involvement in community activity Made things worse
Financial situation	Financial situation Made things better	Financial situation Had NO impact	Financial situation Made things worse
Involvement in or accessing arts/culture	Involvement in or accessing arts/culture Made things better	Involvement in or accessing arts/culture Had NO impact	Involvement in or accessing arts/culture Made things worse
Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example)	Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example) Made things better	Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example) Had NO impact	Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example) Made things worse
Ability to achieve what I/they want	Ability to achieve what I/they want Made things better	Ability to achieve what I/they want Had NO impact	Ability to achieve what I/they want Made things worse
Ability to learn new skills	Ability to learn new skills Made things better	Ability to learn new skills Had NO impact	Ability to learn new skills Made things worse

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 8. If we could provide all the activities that we hope to in our plans, which of them do you think you would use. Tick all that apply.

Creative classes and activities for the wider community to enjoy;

Dance classes for all ages;

Health promotion activities

A programme of healthy eating/cooking classes and activities

Specialist creative activities for people with disabilities;

Meeting room hire for local community groups

Affordable office space for local community groups, social enterprises and agencies

A venue for local groups to meet and work together to improve people’s lives.

Theatre groups for people of all ages;

Providing high quality and affordable rehearsal and recording space

A taster programme where local young people are introduced to creative activities from guest experts from theatres, colleges, studios, bands, programmers, festivals

A rolling programme of art exhibitions, showcasing local talent as well as artwork from visiting artists

Learning, volunteering and training opportunities for people interested in the theatre and the creative industries, ranging from front of house, catering, set design, technical production, writing and acting

Training and mentoring for aspiring musicians and artists, including managing and thriving within the business of theatre and the music industry

A pathway programme where young people are linked with opportunities in local and national arts and theatre groups through a mentoring/referral/-on-boarding project

An outreach programme that works with NEET young people and others that are excluded from opportunities, engaging them in theatre and creative activities.

A high-quality café/restaurant/bar, serving both patrons of the centre and the wider community, with views overlooking the Mersey and the adjacent golf course;

A cinema for the local community, showing modern films and classics, as well as sporting events e.g. golf tournaments, bringing people into the local area;

A theatre programme offering flexible and affordable ticketing prices;

A programme of non-theatre performances, including dance, concerts, hip-hop and spoken word, providing concerts for up to 250 people

Dance studios for hire by local practitioners and groups.

Other (please tell us what else you'd like to see)

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* 9. If we provided the activities that you have selected above, what impact would they have on how often you use Valley Community Theatre

I would use the centre less often

I would use the centre about as much as I do now

I would use the centre more often than I do now

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* 10. If we provided the activities that you have selected above, what impact would they have on you/the person you care for?

	It would make things better	It would have NO impact	It would make things worse
Mental health (including stress/anxiety)	Mental health (including stress/anxiety) It would make things better	Mental health (including stress/anxiety) It would have NO impact	Mental health (including stress/anxiety) It would make things worse
Physical health	Physical health It would make things better	Physical health It would have NO impact	Physical health It would make things worse
Community connections	Community connections It would make things better	Community connections It would have NO impact	Community connections It would make things worse
Level of involvement in community activity	Level of involvement in community activity It would make things better	Level of involvement in community activity It would have NO impact	Level of involvement in community activity It would make things worse
Financial situation	Financial situation It would make things better	Financial situation It would have NO impact	Financial situation It would make things worse
Involvement in or accessing arts/culture	Involvement in or accessing arts/culture It would make things better	Involvement in or accessing arts/culture It would have NO impact	Involvement in or accessing arts/culture It would make things worse
Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example)	Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example) It would make things better	Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example) It would have NO impact	Amount of money spent locally (as opposed to spending it online, for example) It would make things worse
Ability to achieve what I/they want	Ability to achieve what I/they want It would make things better	Ability to achieve what I/they want It would have NO impact	Ability to achieve what I/they want It would make things worse
Learning new skills	Learning new skills It would make things better	Learning new skills It would have NO impact	Learning new skills It would make things worse

Other (please specify)

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* 11. What impact would the improved centre have on the local area as a place to live, work or visit?

It would make it better

It would make no difference

It would make it worse

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* 12. What is the first part of your/their postcode?

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* 13. What is your/their age?

0-12

13-18

19-25

26-39

40-60

61 and over

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* 14. What is your/their ethnic background?

Asian or Asian British

Black or Black British

Mixed

White

Other (please specify)

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* 15. What is your/their gender?

Male

Female

Non-binary

Other

Prefer not to say

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* 16. Do you consider yourself/the person you care for to have a disability?

Yes

Prefer not to say

Please tell us the type of disability you/they have (this is so we can make sure we are as accessible as possible)

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* 17. Would you be interested in helping us? If so, please tell us how and leave your contact details in the box below.

Speaking to us in more detail about what activities you would like to see at the centre

Attending a future event to discuss our plans

Joining a planning group to help us shape our plans

Volunteering in some other way

Please leave your name and contact details if you would like us to be in touch