Major Peterborough arts and culture to leave home near Peterborough Cathedral following eviction
Chauffers Cottage is set to be used as a facility for care leavers.
A number of major arts and cultural organisation will leave their home after being evicted by Peterborough City Council.
Currently, Metal Culture manages Chauffeurs Cottage located on St Peter’s Road just through a gateway of the cathedral’s wall, and counts Peterborough Positive, theatre company Eastern Angles, Red 7 Productions as well as several creative freelancers among the tenants of the building.
The cottage has been leased rent-free to Metal since 2011 and acted as a creative space for artists in the city but this lease will come to an end at the end of December.
The groups hope to be able to remain housed together but must now find new premises.
A statement from Metal Peterborough said: “Our building has been a home, not just for us, but for so many artists, organisations and friends. Leaving our space wasn’t our decision and it’s one we’re still trying to get our heads around but we’re embracing it with optimism and are actively working to find a new space in Peterborough that will allow us to continue being a space of creativity and connection.
“We’ve seen so much support from so many of you, from memories of moments in our space and kind messages about what our building means to you.
"It means so much to us, as does each and every one of you who has been advocating for us since the news came out.
"So, this isn’t a goodbye! It’s simply a pause as we dust off old memories, dig back into the archives of some of the best times here at Chauffeurs Cottage and look to the future of Metal Peterborough in the city.”
Council leader Dennis Jones has previously said that the authority is seeking to use the space for a care leavers facility to be run by children’s services.
The Peterborough Telegraph has contacted Peterborough City Council over its plans.
Metal will be holding a series of celebrations and gatherings throughout November as part of their final month as Chauffer’s Cottage.
Food gatherings will be held on Saturday November 16 4-7pm, Thursday November 21 6:30-8:30pm and Thursday November 28 6:30-9:30pm.
Collectives and artists will be hosting events at Chauffeurs for ‘one night only’ in response to ‘what’s possible when things go wrong.’
These will take place on Wednesday November 27, 7:30pm-10:30pm – Write Club (Syntax poetry) and Saturday November 30, 4:30-6:30pm- Battle Lines.
There will be an ‘Out with a Bang Party,’ complete with special host and DJ on Saturday November 30 at 7pm.
Volunteers are also being sought to help Metal pack and deconstruct the garden on Tuesday December 3, 11-3pm.
All details of the events Metal will be holding throughout November are available at https://metalculture.com/projects/whats-possible-when-things-go-wrong/.