Mayflower takeover of Nuffield Southampton Theatres approved

Southampton’s Studio 144, formerly part of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, is set to reopen next year after a takeover by the operator of the nearby Mayflower was approved.

Southampton City Council agreed a bid by the Mayflower Theatre Trust to run the venue – which is currently dormant – would be finalised. It is hoped performances will begin again at the theatre in spring 2021.

The 450-seat theatre will be renamed MAST Mayflower Studios and "will become a creative hub working with and supporting local artists and companies", according to Mayflower chief executive Michael Ockwell.

Nuffield Southampton Theatres went into administration during the pandemic as a result of financial difficulties. 86 staff were made redundant as a result of the closure, with thousands signing a petition to save the theatre.

The Mayflower Theatre Trust – which runs the 2,300-seat Mayflower Theatre in Southampton – was selected as the preferred bidder after two rounds of applications, the first of which failed to secure a future operator.

Councillors have now approved the new management, agreeing to handover the running of Studio 144 to the Mayflower at a meeting on September 16.

A new company, Mayflower Academy Ltd, has been established to operate the theatre.

A report prepared for the council’s meeting said the Mayflower was "the only viable and commercially sustainable option" for the theatre’s future, and said its bid demonstrated "a strong understanding and commitment" to the stakeholder’s requirements.

It is understood the theatre will stage a mix of in-house, presented and co-created work, spanning multiple art forms.

A grant of £511,250, delivered over two years, was also approved to facilitate "community-based cultural activity" at the venue.

Earlier this year, ACE announced it had ring-fenced £1.9 million of grant funding – previously allocated to NST – for Southampton’s arts offering.

The report said the Arts Council is due to complete the formal sign off of this money to the new operator, adding the funding body is also committing to providing funding grants in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Satvir Kaur, cabinet member for culture and homes at Southampton City Council, described the decision as "great news for the cultural sector and our city".

"With a strong track record of delivery already within the city, Mayflower Theatre Trust not only shared an exciting artistic vision but evidenced a deep understanding of local, regional and national connections that will add value and opportunity to local artists and to our city’s cultural ambitions," she said.