Theatre petition goes to Minister

Culture Minister Tessa Jowell is to receive a petition against closure of the Leicester Haymarket.

A delegation from BECTU hopes to present the petition at a meeting on July 9, where the Minister has agreed to listen to the union's arguments for keeping the theatre open.

The Haymarket, which is partly funded by the Arts Council, is threatened with closure this summer, and the union-organised petition has already attracted more than 6,000 signatures from local people.

Almost 80 staff will be made redundant if the Haymarket closes for the one year period planned by management, but the union is concerned that it might never re-open, robbing the East Midlands of a respected cultural institution.

Another government minister, and Leicester MP, Patricia Hewitt of the Department of Trade and Industry, has come out in support of the campaign to keep the Haymarket open, and has written to East Midlands Arts and the Department of Culture Media and Sport to express her concerns.

Fellow Leicester MP Jim Marshall is rallying support among his Parliamentary colleagues, and has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) which calls on the Culture Minister to bring together all interested parties, including BECTU and Equity, to discuss a rescue plan.

Haymarket members and supporters met Jim Marshall at an open meeting in the House of Commons earlier this month, and MPs have begun adding their signatures to his motion, EDM 1300.

BECTU members working at the Haymarket have already presented management with a proposal for a pay freeze and 14 job cuts in an effort to contain costs. The proposal would also introduce better management of budgets, and eliminate the use of external consultants.

Haymarket management are considering the union package, but BECTU officials believe that the closure plan is so far advanced that political pressure is the theatre's only hope of salvation.

Since the shutdown was announced, the union has argued that the financial deficit that precipitated the closure was not fatal, and has called on the Arts Council to fund a recovery package.

BECTU members across the arts and entertainment industry have been asked to aid their colleagues at the Haymarket by signing the petition, and writing to their local MPs, asking them to support Jim Marshall's Early Day Motion.

Members can use the links below to support the campaign against the Haymarket's shutdown.

• Sign the petition ...get your message to Tessa Jowell...download a .pdf copy here.
• Fax your MP ...put a few words together for your local MP, and ask them to support Early Day Motion 1300.
  You can locate your MP, and send a fax, using FaxYourMP.com.
• Send a message of support ...send a solidarity message here.

Haymarket members and supporters meet Jim Marshall MP in Westminster