Llantarnam Grange - the next 60 years - Feasibility Study Tender

• Scope of work:

Background

Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre is based in Cwmbran and has been part of the creative life of Southeast Wales for 60 years and we are dedicated to continuing this legacy; adapting to the changing needs of our communities while providing free access to art, culture, and creativity. With the mission to create an environment where care, support and well-being are at the heart of all our programmes and processes, we function as a crucial community hub for bringing people together, supporting artists, improving health and well-being and encouraging creativity for all. See more at www.llantarnamgrange.com

In order to continue this legacy and create a building that is pertinent and inspiring to our communities now and in the future, we want to conduct a feasibility study to investigate the redevelopment and extension of our building, which will include a wide range of Community Engagement & Consultation with users and artists. Given the nature of our building, a 19th-century manor house, we face critical restrictions and challenges in terms of access, functionality, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. The redevelopment of our building has been an ambition for the organisation for over 20 years. In 2006 we conducted a feasibility study (see Appendix B) which was not taken further at the time. While many of the ambitions of a redevelopment remain the same, since then, the building, organisation, our purpose and the general artistic environment have changed, resulting in a more community focused approach and programme.

The study should consider

• accessibility as a primary concern
• maximising gallery space and creatively exploring how and where art can be displayed
• developing existing, and creating additional spaces which are flexible and multi-functional and support artists and communities to deliver learning projects and increase community use
• the needs, wants and aspirations of our current visiting audience, potential/non-visiting audiences and communities and how these can shape our future plans to ensure that Llantarnam Grange is relevant and accessible to the communities we serve
• audience potential and development opportunities
• increasing income generating opportunities – larger Craftshop and Café, bookable spaces for community and business use
• creating small number of studios or office spaces for artists and creative businesses
• maximising environmental sustainability of the existing structure as well as any extension in order to reduce costs and carbon emissions, working towards low to zero emissions
• utilising and improving our grounds, investing in a valuable natural resource for users of the centre and the community as one of the few green spaces in Cwmbran town centre
• providing a major asset for the people of Cwmbran and SE Wales
• the adjacent M Cwmbran Shopping centre sees in the region of 22 million visitors per year and the previous feasibility study looked at the creation of an extension to our building which would face onto the main road to the rear, positioning us into the heart of the shopping centre, allowing us to grow awareness of Llantarnam Grange and increase our audiences and users
• Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre is not a listed building, however consideration must be taken to preserve and celebrate its distinctive Victorian architecture