Salford Victoria Theatre – which has been standing proud in the city for 124 years – is at risk of redevelopment after being put up for auction today.
The Salford Victoria Theatre Trust is still campaigning for the Grade II listed building to be restored for community use.
A fundraiser was held yesterday to help raise money and awareness about the risk to the building.
The Trust is eager to restore the building for community use.
Trust chair and treasurer Sam Kelly, who has been supporting the cause since 2015, is hoping to raise enough money to resume negotiations either with new owners or with the current owners if the building didn’t sell at auction today with an asking price of £650,000.
She said: “We would love to see it back in all its glory, but unfortunately at the moment it is in a bit of a sorry state.
“But it could be amazing and a brilliant meeting point in the community for the new and the old communities.”
She has however, made clear that the Trust will oppose any developments that threaten the historical fabric of the building.
She continued: “We have a lot of people moving into Salford now and it would just make a fantastic place for the local community to take pride in because it is an amazing building.
“Not only is it a beautiful space but it is a hugely historically significant space as well.”
The building has been standing in Salford for 124 years and has a unique stage which is one of only two they know of like it nationally.
It is called a ‘Scruto’ construction, which allows the stage to open like a roll top desk due to the building being narrow.
Local artists Elliott Chapel, known through his art as ‘Stone Throat’, and Little Hulton-based ‘SK’ were also there to support the cause and show off their talents.
They said: “It’s such a big hub for the community, it is on auction now, and if it was to get bought and not get turned into something that is for the community, then it will probably harm the community more than it would do it any good.
“It could be a place where someone could take their practice to the next level, so it is important that we keep these spaces alive and trying to save it in that way.”
Jas Sykes has recently joined the Trust and is in charge of exhibitions, events and social media.
She said: “The aim is to basically get the building so we can restore it back to our community theatre hub.”
She said that had been the wish of the owner in the 1970s but they had lost ownership of it.
For more information or to join/ follow the campaign you can see more here.
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