Maryport Wave Centre
AS Maryport's Wave celebrates its first birthday centre manager Karen Thompson says Cumbria has so far just seen 'the tip of the iceberg' in how Maryport will bloom.
The Wave is now preparing the way for a professional Xmas panto as well as adding street dance sessions, a rock choir and a youth theatre to its existing multi-tasking.
Karen said: "We've had quite a rollercoaster first year so plenty of highs and lows. Highlights for me have been the opening when the town showed extraordinary support for the centre with huge crowds turning out for all the activities. We even had a seven-foot Las Vegas Elvis at our opening weekend. Trying new events and new things at the centre such as dancing classes, fairs, awards ceremonies, conferences have all be great. Challenges included getting the centre open in six weeks! That was quite a test and all the usual management headaches that come with a brand new building and a brand new team have provided plenty of work in the year. We have had to establish six different businesses, the theatre, the TIC (Tourist Information Centre), the exhibition, the café, the gift shop and the conferencing and events. It's a big ask of any team but one that the staff here are fully committed to."
She adds: "As the TIC for Maryport, we are getting enquiries from as far away as Russia! Its quite gratifying that Maryport's reach is extending that far!"
Asked which events proved the biggest crowdpullers in the opening year, she said: "We've had a number of events that would qualify. Our opening and last years' Blues Festival are obvious ones, but we have also seen large audiences for children's shows such as the fantastic Room on the Broom from Tall Stories which visited in April. Tribute acts have done very well indeed, and the regular 'Blues in the Bistro' is attracting great crowds, most recently with Ian Siegal. I hope as the programme diversifies going forward with folk music, jazz, workshops and our first professional pantomime this Christmas that we continue to build good support." The Wave is now looking for Arts Council investment to extend the programme it we can look to develop less populist programming streams and bring in professional artists to facilitate participatory workshops, programmes and projects.
Karen is equally positive about the direction Maryport is taking as a town: "Maryport is changing all the time. With huge investment in The Wave Centre, the cycleways and pathways, Shipping Brow, the Golden Lion improvements, the new Marina building, the investment in derelict properties in the town and future planned for the development of the harbour I think perceptions of Maryport are changing too.
"I think part of the centre's job is to keep challenging those old perceptions of what Maryport is and can be. Yes, Maryport had a lot of difficult years and there are still challenges, but what's happening now is restoring the town. It's a beautiful example of Georgian architecture, with views across the Solway which are second to none alongside a thriving cultural sector here. In the past couple of years we've seen the Settlement reopen as a fantastic place for adult education and visual arts, we've opened a brand new theatre space, Tidal Reach Art Gallery opened and we've just seen Carlton Creations open a ceramics business in the town where people can enjoy browsing but also seeing ceramics being created. The Blues Festival is now the largest in the country of its kind, the pubs in Maryport programme live bands and entertainment all the time. And I think we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot to be positive about and Maryport is a fabulous place right now to live and work."
