Tag: new home

Monarchs look to the future as time called on Armadale Stadium

Following 26 wonderful seasons, speedway racing will cease at Armadale Stadium at the end of the 2022 season.

The West Lothian venue, which has hosted the most successful era of the Monarchs, will close later this year as notice has been formally served that the Club must vacate the stadium.

The current stadium owners are ending their tenure as landlords and intend to sell the site this year. They have been supportive landlords and the Club is understanding of their change of circumstances.

Armadale Stadium may not have been the plushest of homes for the Monarchs but the Club has enjoyed much success and many terrific times both on and off track at the stadium.

Chairman Alex Harkess said: “Armadale Stadium has been a happy place for the Club over what has been very many years. We are thankful to have had it as our home and will be sad to see it go, but we must now look to the future and that is exciting. There is life beyond Armadale Stadium for the Monarchs.

“For the remainder of this season, the team has a job to do. It is still early days and a place in the Play Offs is very achievable. With the continued excellent support of our fans, we can get there.”

Officials at the Club have spent much of the Armadale era attempting to bring the Monarchs closer to Edinburgh, with numerous avenues having been explored. However, with a definitive end date to the Armadale era now set, the Club are working hard to secure the future of the Monarchs in a new venue.

West Lothian Council has expressed their support for retaining the Monarchs in the area and discussions are ongoing.

Monarchs’ positive influence in the community has grown significantly in recent years with the launch of Monarchs Speedway Academy creating opportunities for local youngsters, Monarchs Community Initiative offering a free speedway experience for local community groups, alongside Monarchs ongoing support of Armadale Children’s Gala Day.

Monarchs Co-Promoter John Campbell continued: “For many years there has been a threat to the existence of Armadale Stadium. Throughout that time we have been developing plans and casting a wide search over the local area for a new stadium.

“This will be a significant challenge but as a Club, with our wonderful supporters, we are known to rise to challenges again, and again, and succeed. That is what we will do here.

“We are working hard at it and will continue to work even harder still.

“The two critical ingredients for our new stadium are finding the right site and securing the necessary finance. We are putting out a call to anyone who can assist us in these areas to please come forward and contact the Club.”

If you are able to assist the Club in its bid to move to a new stadium, or can support the move financially, please email: future@edinburghmonarchs.co.uk  with details of how you can help.

The Monarchs Fans Trust and Monarchs Grand Draw continue to play a vital role in ensuring the continuation of the Monarchs presently and into the future.

The steadfast support of these initiatives by Monarchs fans will be crucial in delivering a bright future for the Club.

The Club will keep supporters informed of all updates regarding the future where possible over the coming weeks and months.

Scottish Building Society announced as Edinburgh Rugby’s Main Club Partner

Four-year deal biggest for both organisations

Scottish Building Society, the world’s oldest building society, has today been announced as Edinburgh Rugby’s Main Club Partner in a deal that will last for the next four seasons.

The partnership is the biggest agreement of its kind in the history of both organisations and follows a successful back of shirt deal which has been in place since 2020.

The partnership will see Scottish Building Society feature on the front of the capital side’s home and away match jerseys, and training shirts, as well as having prominent branding within Edinburgh Rugby’s brand-new purpose-built stadium, located in the grounds of BT Murrayfield.

As part of the agreement, Scottish Building Society will also be increasing its work in local communities with involvement in Edinburgh Rugby’s community programmes, including disability inclusive rugby and homeless rugby programmes.

The partnership will also see the two organisations working together to develop a family zone to enhance the match-day experience at the new 7,800 capacity stadium.

This substantial investment in Edinburgh Rugby continues Scottish Building Society’s ongoing commitment to Scottish sport which has included sponsorship of the Scottish Women’s Premier League as well as support for both Heriot’s Rugby and the Southern Knights.

Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer for Scottish Building Society, said: “Scottish Building Society is the world’s oldest building society so we wanted to work alongside a partner with a proud heritage that shared our values.

“As a mutual building society, Edinburgh Rugby’s core principles of honesty, discipline and togetherness were the perfect fit.

“The club’s focus on supporting and integrating with its local community was central in our decision to support them and dovetails perfectly with our own approach of giving back and we are excited to start supporting Edinburgh Rugby’s fantastic initiatives in order to further enhance the impact.

“With Edinburgh Rugby set to move into its new home and celebrate its 150th year during the course of this sponsorship, it is certainly going to be a really exciting time and we’re incredibly proud that we will be part of that journey.”

Douglas Struth, Managing Director at Edinburgh Rugby, said: “We’re thrilled to announce Scottish Building Society as our new Main Club Partner. They are a recognisable brand and leader within their industry, who have a clear and historic association with the city of Edinburgh.

“Having already been part of the club’s sponsor family for a number of seasons, Scottish Building Society have played an integral role in the club’s journey to date – they now back us ahead of what is set to be a momentous, inaugural year in the club’s new home.

“With record-breaking Season Ticket numbers and the hugely exciting United Rugby Championship launching this September, today’s partnership announcement provides us with further momentum heading in to the 2021/22 campaign.

“This is going to be a hugely exciting partnership for all connected to Edinburgh Rugby and it’s an association that we’re immensely proud of too.

“We can’t wait to kick-off the new season in our brand-new home, and represent the Scottish Building Society brand around the world as we compete in both the United Rugby Championship and European Challenge Cup.”

New chapter for Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Edinburgh International Book Festival, which takes place this year from Saturday 14 to Monday 30 August, will do so in the beautiful indoor and open, grassy outdoor spaces of the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art on Lauriston Place.

Full programme details will be announced in June, but Book Festival fans can expect a range of live online author talks, workshops and readings as well as, if circumstances permit, some events for live socially-distanced audiences. 

This new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh gives us use of the ECA’s buildings and grounds in August. The University will operate catering and bar provisions if permitted by the Government’s Covid19 guidelines during the Festival.

EIBF Director, Nick Barley, explains this important move: “While we are now experiencing a full lockdown in Scotland which is challenging for so many people on so many levels, we very much hope that the combination of this, together with the ongoing vaccination programme, will bring the virus under control by August.

“While 2020 proved extremely challenging for the Book Festival it also opened up some extraordinarily exciting opportunities.  Building on the success of our online Book Festival we can now announce that we will be entering into a new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh that will enable us to inhabit this innovative space in 2021 with facilities to create events for both digital and, if circumstances permit, physical audiences.

“Covid19 has created a huge tectonic shift in the way that live events, ourselves included, can reach their audiences. With in-person ticket sales impossible to forecast this August, we simply can’t justify incurring the costs of the tents and infrastructure we’d normally put into Charlotte Square Gardens. It is highly probable that most events will take place online, and the need for broadcast studios is more likely than large venues for an audience.   

“In the grassy courtyard of Edinburgh College of Art we will, if rules allow, recreate the elements of the Book Festival that our audiences love – bookshops, cafes and open spaces in which to come together safely offering the ‘oasis of calm’ for which the Book Festival is renowned. The College offers excellent studio and theatre facilities for both online broadcasting and potential events with a socially distanced audience.

“We intend that this strategic partnership with the University will be a long-term arrangement, and the Book Festival will continue to occupy their spaces when a Covid-free Festival, with audiences able to enjoy live events in person, can be staged.

“However digital events will continue to be a key part of future Book Festivals, enabling us to reach truly global audiences as well as those closer to home who face barriers to attending the event. We are excited that our hybrid festivals of the future will engage with authors and audiences around the world in a more environmentally responsible way.”

It’s a new chapter for the Book Festival. Look out for more announcements in the coming months, with full programme details to be revealed at the end of June.

New plans revealed for Edinburgh Filmhouse

Edinburgh’s Filmhouse has today revealed a bold new vision to create an internationally significant, fully accessible and environmentally sustainable landmark home for film and screen culture in Edinburgh.

It will provide unrivalled spaces and facilities for everyone to watch film, to make film and to learn about film and filmmaking in all its diversity.

The planned new Filmhouse building has been designed by award-winning Edinburgh based Richard Murphy Architects and will significantly improve and increase the quality and quantity of spaces available to and needed by Filmhouse and EIFF for their audiences, customers, participants and industry partners.

It will create a hub for Edinburgh’s film and broader cultural community to base themselves in, and be a focal point for Edinburgh’s citizens to learn about film.

Filmhouse’s audiences have made it clear what they value and these have been built into the design: location, atmosphere, diversity of programme, education and learning activities, great locally sourced food and drink in the Café Bar, and a safe and comfortable space for people to gather. Most importantly, these will all be delivered to contemporary standards of access and comfort.

Filmhouse has been at the centre of Edinburgh’s cultural landscape for more than 40 years. As well as a year-round programme of inspiring films, creative learning, special events and partnership working, Filmhouse is home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), hosts more than 20 other film festivals, and plays a key role in promoting a vibrant and successful film and moving image industry and culture across Scotland.  The new building will secure Filmhouse’s future for generations to come.

The new Filmhouse will:

  • Provide six new cinema screens allowing Filmhouse and EIFF to programme even more great films, festivals and partnership events.
  • Improve the audience experience with a world-class venue that is fully accessible for all, with comfortable seating and state-of-the-art facilities.
  • Continue to screen film on all formats, including 4K digital, and 16mm, 35mm and 70mm film.
  • Ensure accessibility for all, with a commitment that all public and office spaces are fully accessible for audiences, staff and guests.
  • Increase Filmhouse’s education and outreach activity, with dedicated education spaces to host year-round activity for learners of all ages.
  • House Filmhouse’s award-winning Café Bar, which will be designed to retain the intimate and safe atmosphere of the existing space.
  • Create a brand-new Festival Centre to provide a venue to support EIFF and other festivals and special events year-round.
  • Introduce a new Cultural Industries hub, supporting the Scottish screen sector with much-needed flexible workspace in Edinburgh’s city centre.
  • Create a restaurant and rooftop event space.
  • Keep Filmhouse’s iconic character and atmosphere, in a new building that has been thoughtfully designed to represent its independent spirit and ethos.
  • Reduce impact on the environment by creating a carbon-neutral building.
  • Increase financial sustainability, by creating greater capacity, diversifying sources of income generation, and becoming more self-sufficient over the longer term.

The oculus design reflects the eye on the world that Filmhouse, EIFF and the myriad of festivals, events and learning opportunities in the building will provide, whilst also providing a striking addition to Edinburgh’s architectural landscape.

Its location in Festival Square is designed to be the catalyst that brings to life a currently underused public space and as part of the development would place a responsibility on Filmhouse to manage the curation of activity within the surrounding square.

The architect drawings and visualisations for the new Filmhouse give people a good idea of the thinking on the position and shape of the building, and the spaces it would contain, howeverthe design is still in development.

Due to the significance of this project to Filmhouse and to Edinburgh, the project team are consulting as widely as possible on this proposal. The consultation stage will officially run for 12 weeks from 11th March to 3rd June.

Filmhouse is looking to engage with customers, partners, stakeholders including programming partners, creative learning partners and the Scottish film sector, community councils and councillors, and residents of Edinburgh to gauge support for the plans and further develop the designs before submitting a formal Planning Application to the City of Edinburgh Council during the summer.

Information on the proposed development including architect drawings and visualisations, the background to the development and FAQs will be available on the Filmhouse’s website. There will also be information and images on display at the Filmhouse including a scale model.

People will be able to give feedback through a simple online survey through the Filmhouse and EIFF websites, through comment cards in the Filmhouse, and formally and informally at events, meetings and discussions with Filmhouse staff.

Three all-day (10am – 7pm) public consultation events will take place in Filmhouse on Sunday 29 March, Wednesday 1 April and Tuesday 28 April where members of the Filmhouse team, Richard Murphy Architects and Montagu Evans will be present to answer questions and collect feedback.

There will be two Filmhouse Members’ Events for its more than 5,500 members on Sunday 29 March and Monday 6 April with opportunities for this key group of stakeholders to hear more and ask questions.

An annual Programme Partners’ event in March gives the Filmhouse’s festival and cultural partners an opportunity to focus on this consultation and how they can engage with the proposed development.

In addition, Filmhouse will actively engage with a range of audiences, customers, interest groups and stakeholders, for example presenting information specifically to its Young Programmers and Senior Selections volunteers, and will invite people from organisations or networks representing special interests to attend individual or group meetings to have more focused discussions about the designs.

Full costing of the project will take place later in 2020 to coincide with the formal Planning Application, but the cost is currently estimated to be in the region of £50m.

An indicative timeline, contingent on the Planning Application decision and fundraising success, hopes to start work on the building in 2023 with it opening in 2025.

This project is led by CMI’s Board and Senior Management Team, with support from property consultancy Montagu Evans.

Ken Hay, CEO of Centre for the Moving Image (inc Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival) said: “For more than 40 years Filmhouse has been at the centre of Edinburgh’s cultural life, and for more than 70 years Edinburgh International Film Festival has been an international beacon for film and film culture.

“This proposed new building will transform what we’re able to do for Edinburgh’s residents and Scotland’s film community, as well as providing Scotland with a physical celebration of the most popular artform.  Through doubling the number of screens and seats for regular cinema-goers, creating dedicated education and learning spaces, and developing an iconic festival centre, all within a fully accessible and carbon neutral building, this really is a 21st century temple for film.

“We are hugely excited about sharing this vision during the consultation period, and are looking forward to engaging with as many people as we can in helping us shape the future for Filmhouse and lovers of film.”

Sandy Begbie CBE, Chair of Centre for the Moving Image (inc Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival) said: “These are very exciting times for the Filmhouse – the opportunity to create a new home for film in Edinburgh, with a landmark building in the city centre.  

“This will provide a new state of the art home for Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival, but at its heart this is for the citizens of Edinburgh and Scotland and the entire film industry.

“The building will retain the purpose, values and culture that has served us so well over many years but in a building that will take us forward for the next 50 years.  This will also allow us to continue the valuable work we do in the community and the development of talent for the Scottish film industry.  This is what makes us different and the new building will provide the facilities to grow and develop that work.”