A ‘veil of secrecy’ has surrounded the sale of the town’s arts centre, according to supporters of the venue.

It was announced in September that Bridport Arts Centre will be sold to Alasdair Warren, owner of the Electric Palace.

However, supporters and fundraisers for the centre have said its trustees have conducted negotiations 'in silence’ and no detailed information was available at a recent AGM.

Margie Barbour, a former employee, supporter and fundraiser for the arts centre, attended the AGM and said: “The members were hoping that the AGM would lift the veil of secrecy about the sale of the building to Alasdair Warren.

“Since news of the sale reached members, there has been almost no detailed information available about the implications to the centre. As the board were still in negotiations about the sale of the building, we were still told very little at the AGM, and the details that were revealed were only as a result of probing questions by those present."

Frances Everitt, also a supporter of the arts centre, said she came away from the AGM upset that the centre had been sold because of financial difficulties and felt there was ‘little explanation given of how it came about so quickly’.

“The sale may have been a necessary evil, a last resort after some time of financial difficulty, but why had the trustees conducted negotiations in silence,” she said.

Margie added: “We heard that the future use of the building, both the Allsopp Gallery and the Marlowe theatre, would be split between the arts centre and Electric Palace and the café would be developed into a restaurant by the new owner.

“Unfortunately, the AGM accounts could not be presented and there was no document for members to understand what had happened since the last AGM when the board had said they were confident that ‘changes will not only result in the stabilising of the financial position but will provide a sustainable basis for the arts centre’s future’.

“All present realised being a trustee is difficult, especially of a much-loved centre which has played a wonderful role in the town. We had no illusions that the board had many options, but many expressed surprise that even at this AGM they had not expressed regret that, under their watch, all this had happened. They failed to satisfactorily explain why they hadn’t even called an EGM but enforced a silence that excluded the staff and community. It all happened in such a rush was repeated frequently, and it clearly had been a serious crisis.”

Robert Wheelwright, chairman of trustees at Bridport Arts Centre, said he was ‘a little surprised by the suggestion that there has been a lack of information’.

“Information relating to the problems and negotiated solution to them was published in the Bridport News in September and the Bridport Arts Centre website includes a set of FAQs,” he said.

“Furthermore, detailed information was reported to the AGM at the start of the meeting. This information was frank and honest and while negotiations are not concluded was, as explained, as detailed and specific as commercial negotiations and prudence allow.

“It was clearly stated that on-going tight financial management of the Arts Centre had been disrupted by a series of major funding issues in a very short period and that without the rapid action of the Trustees and speedy and unsecured intervention of Alasdair Warren there would have been no AGM. There would have been no Bridport Arts Centre.

“The legal responsibility for the charity lies solely with the Trustees and while we aim to take our loyal supporters and staff along with us and involve them in decision making, the timescale for action, as explained, prohibited this. The negotiations are on track to complete the sale and financial stability early in the New Year and there will be a full public meeting to discuss the new arrangements. Both the Charities Commission and Arts Council England are content with the pending changes.

“The reaction and comments from members which I and my fellow Trustees have received, both face to face and in correspondence, has been positive with many grateful for the hours of hard work and sleepless nights experienced in securing the continued existence of the cherished local charity, Bridport Arts Centre.”

Mick Smith, director of Bridport Arts Centre, said: “I can’t comment on past events prior to taking up this post, but since being here I’ve had a number of very open and honest conversations with long term supporters of the arts centre with the full consent of the board of trustees.

“Whilst I can understand the attachment to a building originally funded by members of the community, personally I feel that the partnership created through the sale offers a great deal of positive potential. I have also been reassured through talking to these supporters - some of whom were part of the group who originally funded the purchase of the building - that their chief concern is that the charity they helped establish can continue to provide the range of high quality live events and visual arts experiences, which is the reason why it was formed.

“I’m delighted to say that 2020 will see us able to provide more of what the arts charity was founded for in the first place; with a programme of high quality visual arts exhibitions, a wide range of engaging and entertaining live events and more of a link between the two. I am relishing my new role and hope that the people of Bridport will enjoy the new revitalised arts programme here as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.”

Bridport Arts Centre was bought by The Bridport and District Arts Society in 1973 and a determined group of people slowly but surely created an arts centre.

In 2016, the arts centre underwent an extensive refurbishment project to update parts of the building, including the theatre, seating and café area.