Art gallery closure date set

And the Arts Centre Studio Theatre will close on April 21, so that both areas can store the thousands of items in archives and collections as cultural services move to Riverside House.

After hosting its last performance, part of the theatre will be retained for groups to use as a meeting room for a further 12 months.

Elenore Fisher, Rotherham Borough Council’s cultural services manager, said: “The theatre closure will enable staff in the Archives and Local Studies Service to create a temporary work room and storage area to catalogue all ‘unknown items’ before the entire collection is transferred.

“To cater for current non-performance uses, it has been agreed that the current studio theatre will be split into two sections, allowing the Arts Centre to retain income from half of the current studio theatre as a meeting room space.”

She added: “The closure of Rotherham Art Gallery is to enable staff within the Museums Galleries and Heritage Service to begin to pack the service’s stored collections and the collections displayed at the York and Lancaster Regimental Museum.

“The smaller exhibition spaces, Corridor Wall and Craft Case, will remain available to exhibitors at Rotherham Arts Centre.

“Clifton Park Museum Café will also be used as a space for exhibitors to display flat art during the period of Art Gallery closure.”

A new library is included within the council’s multi-million pound Riverside House development, set for completion in spring 2012.