Square Chapel in Halifax closes doors while 'future is considered'

Square Chapel Arts Centre in Halifax has closed its doors and cancelled all programmed events while it determines its future. 

In a statement posted to its website, the Arts Council England-funded venue confirmed that those with tickets for upcoming performances would be refunded and creditors and debtors would be contacted immediately. 

"Unfortunately all future events have been cancelled until a decision is made about the future of the venue," it states.

A spokesperson for ACE told The Stage: "We’re aware that Square Chapel has been facing financial challenges. We are in contact with the directors while they investigate the options open to them. In the meantime, we cannot comment further." 

"Recipients of Arts Council England funding are responsible for managing their own operations, including decisions about their future," the spokesperson added.

"However, we are committed to working with Calderdale Council and partners in the town to ensure that audiences continue to have access to a range of cultural opportunities."

The closure comes after ACE temporarily paused its £159,000 annual funding of Square Chapel last autumn following the revelation that the venue had left visiting performers unpaid. 

At the time a spokesperson for the arts centre cited cashflow issues, which they attributed to challenges including a lack of funding from the local council and costly structural damages at the nearby Old Courts in Wigan, which had offered its support and expertise to the arts centre for free. 

The spokesperson also reported that "near-farcical" levels of noise disturbance from the neighbouring venue had forced it to cancel a large proportion of its programming last year.

Calderdale Council, who provided Square Chapel with £70,000 per year from 2019 until 2022, has ruled out further support for the ailing venue, with Councillor Danielle Durrans explaining that the local authority is "having to spend [its] limited budget very carefully and make difficult decisions across a range of services".