A Long Eaton community arts centre has launched a fundraising campaign to give the building a facelift and its very own walk of fame.
The Chatsworth Arts Centre, which houses the Duchess Theatre on West Gate, has seen a decade of work on the site since its previous incarnation burned down in 2003.
After all the time and effort spent to recreate a space which is now in continuous use by community groups, the managing committee are looking to complete the transformation with new landscaping on the streetfront.
Committee member Simon Davey, 50, runs graphic design company Cherry Tree and is spearheading the project.
He said: “A lot of people don’t realise we have a theatre here, even though we are fully-booked for the next two years.
“It’s a great asset to the community. The landscaping would really make us stand out, and it would help to smarten up the area too.”
Having already won planning permission for the designs, the challenge now is to raise the estimated £75,000 it will cost to realise their vision, drawn up by local architect Ian Storm of Storm design.
The plans include the construction of a perimeter wall with stone capping, resin bonded walk ways, an outdoor performance area with power supply, steel gates to all entrances, high quality lighting, mature planting, signage and an enclosed bin store.
The first stage of the campaign is asking local people, businesses and organizations to make their mark by sponsoring a paving stone engraved with their names, creating Long Eaton’s answer to the Hollywood walk of fame.
Simon knows about the path to success that begins at the Chatsworth, he explained: “My two daughters were in Young Performers, a group which ran shows at the Duchess. Now one’s a professional actor and the other’s training as a writer and director.”
There are options for blocks at £60 or £100, with writing in black or gold, and smaller donations are welcomed too.
For details on the plans and how you can help, visit www.duchess-theatre.com, pick up a leaflet at the box office or visit the centre’s weekly coffee morning, every Saturday, 10am to 12noon.