Plan revealed for former Blackpool nightclub

A former Blackpool nightclub could be set for a new lease of life as a creative and performance arts hub with the old dance floor converted into a 250-seat amphitheatre.
By Shelagh Parkinson
Published 6th May 2020, 09:24 BST
Updated 6th May 2020, 09:26 BST
The former Club Sanuk nightclubThe former Club Sanuk nightclub
The former Club Sanuk nightclub

Proposals have emerged to redevelop premises previously occupied by the Club Domain and Sanuk nightclubs, parts of which are already being restored as high end holiday apartments.

The Electric Sunshine Project, which was set up in the town in 2016 by artistic director Melanie Whitehead, wants to use space for its workshops and projects aimed at providing opportunities for people currently least likely to connect with the arts.

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A planning application has been submitted to Blackpool Council seeking permission for the scheme at the site on Central Promenade.

While community work would be central to the project, it is also hoped to generate income through holding ticketed shows and operating outlets selling food and merchandise.

If it gets the go ahead, the scheme would be the latest in Blackpool's emerging arts scene whose recent additions include the Art B&B on Central Promenade and gallery space above The Hive Cafe on Church Street.

A design brief accompanying the application says: "A venue enables us to provide a clear ladder of engagement for Blackpool's most disconnected

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communities and build a fulfilling volunteering programme that results in increased transferable skills.

"New creative employment opportunities will retain the talent in the town and provide valid pathways of practical training and employment for the future. "

The plans include using the upstairs dance floor with balcony areas as a 250-seater amphitheatre which could host regional, national and international touring shows.

Space could also be used for rehearsals and to host music, comedy and film events.

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It is proposed to turn a downstairs bar area into a workshop space, cafe and family performance/multisensory storytelling area, while a mezzanine area would be used for admin, storage and meeting space but could later be developed into a creative operational hub.

Entrance areas would be used as exhibition space for local artists.

The application will now go before town hall planners for consideration.

Related topics:BlackpoolProposalsSpace