ALL OF Artrix’s assets have now been acquired by Bromsgrove District Council which has today had a bid accepted by the insolvency firm.
And the move will buy time for the option of keeping the building as an arts venue.
There was a danger all fixtures and fittings, such as the seating, stage and lighting, could have been sold on to other parties to pay off the debts incurred by the trust, jeopardising its future as an arts venue.
The purchase is not a guarantee of the building continuing as an arts centre as a group or organisation with a long-term financially viable plan still needs to be found.
But the move does take away the threat of it being stripped and any new management having to replace the equipment for staging shows and its day-to-day running.
Bromsgrove District Council leader Coun Karen May said: “The money will provide funding for security and maintenance of the building and for the holding trust to receive some professional advice to help and guide them in the decisions that it will need to make moving forward.
“It is very early days and the future of this building is still uncertain but we understand how important this venue is to our community.
“This support will ensure as far as possible that the continuation of an arts facility remains firmly on the table in these difficult and uncertain times.”
Artrix ceased trading on April 7 after initially closing during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Now the assets are secure work can now start on finding a future for the building.
Also among the assets now in the council’s possession is the classic model D Steinway piano which has been part of Bromsgrove’s music scene for 50 years and was moved to the centre when it opened in 2005.
Instruments of that calibre are only usually found in the greatest concert halls and venues around the world and there were fears by Bromsgrove Arts Alive and other groups the important part of the town’s heritage could have been lost.