Shetland’s new cinema and music venue moved a step closer to its planned opening in Spring 2010 with the submission last week of the Stage 2 application to the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery. Currently estimated to cost around £8.7 million, the new facility, designed by Gareth Hoskins Architects, will provide a 160 seat cinema, a music performance auditorium seating 320 and standing 570, a professional standard recording studio, digital media room, rehearsal space and a second, smaller screening facility plus a café bar. Apart from cinema and music, the facility will also be able to host performances and rehearsals for dance, drama and other art forms, and a range of education and lifelong learning activities.

Kathy Hubbard from Shetland Arts says that Shetland Arts had made a strong submission to the Lottery and the application is an important milestone toward opening the new venue. ‘It has been a significant amount of work so far, but there’s no time to sit back even though this key application is in. Design work still continues and the last elements of funding for the project are now being sourced. Seeing the Museum and Archive up and running for the women’s conference last weekend was a real encouragement. They’ve been through this process and have emerged with a fantastic facility – we look forward to the day we can open up next door.’

Director of Shetland Arts, Gwilym Gibbons said “The venue will be an asset for the Shetland community. It will provide the full venue experience, a place to enjoy a coffee before taking in the latest film showing on the day of national release, or catching a music event in the main house. But the venue will be much more than just a place for entertainment; the educational facilities will provide space for a range of courses delivered by Shetland College, and the multi media and studios spaces will support the development of music and film in Shetland. Above all, the venue will be a welcoming and comfortable place to be, for Shetlanders and visitors alike, in a stunning waterside location”.

Mr Gibbons believes it will play a key role in the development of the creative industries in Shetland and sees an emerging cultural quarter at Hays Dock and the North Ness. “The venue, and the Hay’s Dock and North Ness area will certainly come into its own for the Hamefarin’ in 2010 and the Tall Ships visit in 2011”.

Meanwhile, there has been a steady stream of suggestions for naming the new facility and the Board of Shetland Arts will shortly be taxed with making a decision.

The venue has been creating excitement outside of Shetland as well, with the project being one of only two chosen by the Lighthouse in Glasgow as part of its ‘Access to Architecture’ scheme, which aims to increase interest in architecture nationally and to stimulate debate about architecture in communities. The Lighthouse (Scotland’s National Centre for Architecture) and Shetland Arts will be working together to help celebrate architecture in Shetland in the year leading up to the opening of the venue and will be looking to collaborate with communities, architects, students and schools to initiate a series of events, residencies and projects during 2009.