Arts Guild Theatre (Greenock)
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The Greenock Arts Guild formed in 1946. Their Arts Guild Theatre on Campbell Street in
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
'', ''
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, held public performances from 1947 to December 8, 2012, then in January 2013 they opened the Beacon Arts Centre, a new building on Greenock's waterfront, adjacent to Customhouse Quay. Its main performance spaces are the Main Auditorium and The Studio theatre space. A Gallery Suite provides multifunction meeting, rehearsal and functions space, the Bar + Kitchen bistro café serves meals at lunchtime and before specific events. The Gallery Suite and the restaurant have full height glazed walls looking directly out over the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
to the hills of
Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders P ...
and
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
. The Arts Guild Theatre was adapted from a disused
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
swimming pool, its Wallace Bennett Theatre opened in 1949 followed by the Main Auditorium in 1955. It became a
receiving house A receiving house (sometimes called a roadhouse) is a theatre which does not produce its own repertoire but instead receives touring theatre companies, usually for a brief period such as three nights or a full week. The incoming company may receive ...
for touring shows, as well as
producing house A producing house is a theatre which ‘manufactures' its own shows in-house (such as plays, musicals, opera, or dance) and perhaps does everything from honing the script, building the set, casting the actors and designing and making the costum ...
with half the performances amateur, as well as providing classes and workshops in music, art and drama.


Location

The Arts Guild Theatre was situated on Campbell Street in
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
,
Inverclyde Inverclyde ( sco, Inerclyde, gd, Inbhir Chluaidh, , "mouth of the Clyde") is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the histo ...
, immediately to the west of the railway line leading to Princes Pier, at the start of Greenock's West End residential area. The Beacon Arts Centre is at Customhouse Quay, just across the A8 main road from Greenock's town centre, between the area in front of the Custom House and the East India Harbour. Its Bar + Kitchen café / restaurant and first floor Gallery Suite look out over the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
and
Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde is the mouth of the River Clyde. It is located on the west coast of Scotland and constitutes the deepest coastal waters in the British Isles (it is 164 metres deep at its deepest). The firth is sheltered from the Atlantic ...
to the hills of
Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders P ...
and
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
.


History: Arts Guild Theatre

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, people of
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
sought a war memorial to be "something worthy of the sacrifice of the fallen, and of practical value to those who have survived". The ''
Greenock Telegraph The Greenock Telegraph is a local daily newspaper serving Inverclyde (the council area containing the towns of Gourock, Greenock and Port Glasgow), Scotland. Founded in 1857, it was the first halfpenny daily newspaper in Britain. It was for a ...
'' publicised the need for ideas, and its managing director Ryrie J Erskine Orr spoke at the 1945 West Renfrewshire Drama Festival, proposing "a beautiful and living theatre that would be the headquarters of all the cultured arts." The Greenock Arts Guild Ltd was founded as a non-profit charitable company to promote local participation in arts activities, and incorporated on 4 December 1946. They bought the "West End Baths", a disused private swimming pool built in 1881 which had closed in 1941, put together plans and material, and raised funds for its conversion. They also promoted theatre productions in other halls in the interim. The Arts Guild Theatre opened in 1949 with two meeting rooms and a small 100-seat theatre on the first floor of the building, which was named the Wallace Bennett Theatre in memory of a
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
serviceman from Greenock, and occupied the former billiards room. This was the first new theatre in mainland Britain for more than twenty years, and was greeted with widespread expressions of support, including messages from
Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
,
John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...
,
Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...
,
Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...
and
Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
. Public performances in this theatre enabled the Arts Guild to gather a local reputation, which helped it to raise funds to cover the cost of building the Main Auditorium. The building had cost £1,000, and construction of the bottom floor theatre (now named the Main Auditorium) was estimated in 1947 to cost within the region of £18,000.The
Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
at the time where impressed with the enthusiasm of the group and proposed to lend £9,000 to aid with its construction. The Main Auditorium which opened in 1955 was converted from the swimming pool itself, with the slope of the pool floor forming raked stalls giving good sightlines to the stage built at the pool's deep end. A live television broadcast from this theatre in 1956 made The Greenock Players (which had formed in 1943) the first amateur dramatic company in Scotland to be televised. The Arts Guild Theatre complex developed as an arts centre and community theatre, with performances from both amateur and professional theatre companies. A scenery store and two additional meeting rooms were added in the 1960s, and in the 1980s the Wallace Bennett Theatre was adapted to become a flexible studio space. The Main Auditorium provided 454 raked seats in total on two levels (120 circle, 334 stalls, including 5 wheelchair spaces). The Wallace Bennett Theatre allowed 80 seated places. The Arts Guild Theatre also had four dressing rooms, and four rehearsal rooms. It became a
receiving house A receiving house (sometimes called a roadhouse) is a theatre which does not produce its own repertoire but instead receives touring theatre companies, usually for a brief period such as three nights or a full week. The incoming company may receive ...
for touring shows, including well known names such as
Scottish Opera Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland. History Scottish Op ...
and
Dorothy Paul Dorothy Paul (born 1937 as Dorothy Pollock) is a Scottish stage and screen actress, comedian, and entertainer. She performed onstage often at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow. Acting career Originating from the Dennistoun area of Glasgow, she ...
, as well as
producing house A producing house is a theatre which ‘manufactures' its own shows in-house (such as plays, musicals, opera, or dance) and perhaps does everything from honing the script, building the set, casting the actors and designing and making the costum ...
with half the performances amateur. It also put on classes and workshops in music, art and drama.


Redevelopment and replacement

In 2004 it was proposed that the Guild should seek funding to redevelop the Campbell Street premises. The estimated cost was £5.5million and in 2006, the Scottish Arts Council agreed to award £2.6 million towards the refurbishment, with the remainder to be raised by the Guild. Subsequently, however, Inverclyde Council approached the Guild to suggest that they might wish to relocate to a more central site on the waterfront and that that could lever additional support from Riverside Inverclyde. After several months of discussion and a feasibility study, the Guild opted to build a brand new arts centre - The Beacon - on former ship repair graving yard and dockland beside Customhouse Quay. The Arts Guild Theatre closed with a last show on Saturday 8 December 2012, a performance of the
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
''
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'' by the Greenock Players amateur dramatic company. The building was subsequently used by the
Thistle Theatre Group Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. ...
, but it continued to deteriorate and in December 2017 its owners
Peel Land and Property The Peel Group is a British infrastructure and property investment business, based in Manchester. In 2022, its Peel Land and Property estate extends to of buildings, and over of land and water. Peel retains minority stakes in its former ports ...
announced demolition of the old premises early in 2018. Demolition was carried out in February 2021.


The Beacon Arts Centre

Having opted for a new building on the waterfront site, Greenock Arts Guild, which owns and manages the Beacon Arts centre, arranged funding for the construction works with its project partners:
Inverclyde Council Inverclyde Council is one of the 32 local authorities of Scotland. Created in 1995, its administrative centre is based in Greenock and its territory covers the area of Inverclyde in the west of Scotland, taking over from the local government distr ...
, Riverside Inverclyde and
Creative Scotland Creative Scotland ( gd, Alba Chruthachail ; sco, Creative Scotlan) is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The o ...
were the main contributors, and
Big Lottery The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £9 billion to ...
and Social Investment Scotland put in substantial funding, all secured against the title of the Beacon. There were also numerous major contributors as well as many others who donated to the redevelopment project.


Site and design

The site lies between the Custom House and the East India Harbour. Formerly the entrance frontage to the square was occupied by an 1850s harbourmasters' office and waiting room for the
Clyde steamer The Clyde steamer is the collective term for several passenger services that existed on the River Clyde in Scotland, running from Glasgow downstream to Rothesay and other towns, a journey known as going ''doon the watter''. The era of the Cly ...
s, and the harbourside area by
James Lamont & Co James Lamont & Co was a shipbuilder and ship-repairer on the Clyde. History James Lamont & Co were established as a ship repairer at East India Harbour, Greenock, in 1870. After the collapse of the Clyde Shipbuilding Co, Lamonts purchased the Ca ...
ship repairers: both were cleared away in the 1990s.
Lamont's
dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
s had to be infilled before work commenced; this was done by the Spring of 2010. The Arts Guild obtained this waterfront site as a land swap with
Peel Holdings The Peel Group is a British infrastructure and property investment business, based in Manchester. In 2022, its Peel Land and Property estate extends to of buildings, and over of land and water. Peel retains minority stakes in its former ports ...
which owned the docklands. The new building was designed by
LDN Architects LDN is usually contractional slang for London, UK. LDN may also refer to: Arts and media * London Daily News, former newspaper * BBC London (formerly ''BBC LDN''), broadcasting body * "LDN" (song), a 2006 single by Lily Allen Language * Láadan, ...
, who aimed to provide a focal point for performing arts in the area as well as a local community asset. It was to form part of proposed redevelopment of the harbourside area. In 2013, the
Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) is the professional body for architects in Scotland. History Previously the (lapsed) Architectural Institute of Scotland, it was re-founded in 1916 as the Incorporation of Architects in ...
selected the building as one of the 12 entries receiving their annual award. The judging panel said that "This building seems wholly appropriate for its superb waterside setting. It is elegantly contemporary in its materials and form, both open and welcoming."


Naming and construction

Construction work was carried out by
Graham Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan G ...
contractors. In 2010, the cost of completion of the Arts Centre was estimated at £9.3 million. The theatre's new name was announced as The Beacon Arts Centre on 25 November 2010, when the Patron of Greenock Arts Guild,
HRH The Earl of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex (the lands of the We ...
, visited the Customhouse in the week before construction work started. The name was chosen as the new theatre would be near a 19th century ornamental cast iron clock tower with lantern in front of the Customhouse. Originally known as The Beacon, the lantern had been used to guide ships
mooring A mooring is any permanent structure to which a vessel may be secured. Examples include quays, wharfs, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys. A ship is secured to a mooring to forestall free movement of the ship on the water. An ''anc ...
at the quayside: it was erected in 1868 to a design by Greenockian artist
William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...
, and its cast iron structure was made by the nearby foundry of
Rankin & Blackmore Rankin & Blackmore Ltd were a Scottish firm of marine engine makers. The firms origins lie in the purchase of the Johnstone and Leitch's Eagle Foundry in Greenock in 1862 by Daniel Rankin and Edward Blackmore. The firm was incorporated in 1914 an ...
. During the visit, the Earl of Wessex unveiled a commemorative artwork by glass artist Alec Galloway, to be placed in the new building on completion. HRH became patron of Greenock Arts Guild in 2009 and had a longstanding involvement with theatre; in the 1980s he worked with
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
's Really Useful Theatre Company on shows such as
The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
,
Starlight Express ''Starlight Express'' is a 1984 British musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern engines in the hope of ...
and
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
. In July 2011 Lloyd-Webber’s foundation awarded a £100,000 grant to the Beacon Youth Theatre project, and he subsequently attended the
topping out In building construction, topping out (sometimes referred to as topping off) is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction. Nowadays, the ceremony is often parlaye ...
ceremony of the new building. The contractor handed the keys of the building over to the Arts Guild on 27 December 2012, and in January 2013 the Beacon Arts Centre opened to the public with the "First Beam of Light" performed as a community celebration of the opening. It was officially opened by HRH The Earl of Wessex on 16 August 2013, following a Gala variety performance by artists including
Keith Jack Keith Jack (born 2 March 1988) is a British actor and singer. He was the runner-up on the BBC reality talent show '' Any Dream Will Do'', which offered the chance to be the next West End Joseph for the hit musical ''Joseph and the Amazing Tech ...
and the award-winning Inverclyde Junior Choir, with music from Andrew Lloyd Weber productions.


Facilities

The entrance to the Beacon Arts Centre is through a two storey foyer space, which includes the booking office, and there is lift access to the first floor. Externally, a stepped plinth incorporates a wide ramp up from eight disabled parking bays. The plinth adds to the scale as well as protecting against potential flooding, and the mass of the fly tower above the stage forms a striking external feature, with glazed panels lit at night to form a beacon. The Main Auditorium is an end-stage
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
designed primarily for
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
, with a broad
proscenium A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...
and a full
fly system A fly system, or theatrical rigging system, is a system of rope lines, blocks (pulleys), counterweights and related devices within a theater that enables a stage crew to fly (hoist) quickly, quietly and safely components such as curtains, lights ...
housed in the high fly tower above the stage. The
auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...
seats 500: above the raked stalls, the circle and upper circle balconies are stepped downwards at each side as open boxes looking towards the stage. There are nine wheelchair spaces. Internal finishes include perforated metal panels in front of the balconies to deflect sound back to the stage, the side walls are finished to reflect sound without causing echoes. The Studio Theatre is designed as a
black box theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...
and fitted with retractable seating which can be arranged in various configurations, seating up to 128 people. There are six wheelchair spaces. The Gallery Suite provides multifunction meeting, rehearsal and functions rooms, which can be combined into one large space, and all have full height windows looking out to the view over the Clyde. The Bar + Kitchen is open Monday – Saturday 9am to 5pm as a café, with meals at lunch time. On show nights it serves pre-theatre meals, and acts as a bar and café at intervals. The Beacon has a secure fenced yard providing parking space which can be used by
outside broadcasting Outside broadcasting (OB) is the electronic field production (EFP) of television or radio programmes (typically to cover television news and sports television events) from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera ...
units for televised events or digital recording of performances. Cable portholes enable direct connection into the communications and control systems of the two theatres.


Activities

From the outset, the Arts Guild has promoted and encouraged public participation in arts activities. The
BBC Domesday Project The BBC Domesday Project was a partnership between Acorn Computers, Philips, Logica, and the BBC (with some funding from the European Commission's ESPRIT programme) to mark the 900th anniversary of the original ''Domesday Book'', an 11th-centu ...
for 1986 noted that the Arts Guild Theatre building had multiple uses. It featured both amateur and professional drama, with an annual
Greenock Academy The Greenock Academy was a mixed non-denominational school in the west end of Greenock, Scotland, founded in 1855, originally independent, later a grammar school with a primary department, and finally a Comprehensive school only for ages eleven t ...
school opera production, generally a
Savoy opera Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which impr ...
, and a Christmas
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
. There were also dance classes, elocution lessons, and classes in music and chess. The various rooms were actively used in evenings, and provided a venue for local clubs and societies to hold meetings. The Beacon Arts Centre puts on a wide range of performances, including national companies such as
Scottish Opera Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland. History Scottish Op ...
and
National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...
, classical chamber music, rock concerts, community musicals, and amateur theatre and dance. It also has an exhibition programme, and puts on classes and courses. Beacon Youth Theatre provides weekly workshop sessions led by professional specialist tutors for various age groups, between 5 and 21 years old, to gain acting and performance skills, learn about drama production, and put together original performances with new scripts. Beacon Youth Dance began with taster classes in advance of access to the new building, and put on a dance performance in celebration of the centre opening. Participants (11 to 21 years old) get training in contemporary dance and choreography, and have put on productions, with performances both in the Main Auditorium and in other venues including the Tramway and
Theatre Royal, Glasgow The Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in Glasgow and the longest running in Scotland. Located at 282 Hope Street, its front door was originally round the corner in Cowcaddens Street. It currently accommodates 1,541 people and is owned by Scotti ...
, and the
Macrobert Arts Centre Macrobert Arts Centre is a multi-arts venue located on the main campus of the University of Stirling, Scotland. The Arts Centre offers a varied programme of events and experiences – cinema, comedy, dance, exhibitions, family, get involved, ...
in Stirling. There are also dance classes for 6 to 10 year olds, including junior ballet. For adults, there are DanceWorkout classes, and the Platinum Project improving mobility and balance for those over 60. The Creatability movement and dance programme provides sessions for disabled and autistic young people, and the centre offers the Dance For Parkinson's programme developed in a partnership between
Scottish Ballet Scottish Ballet is the national ballet company of Scotland and one of the five leading ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet. Founded in 1969, ...
and Dance Base. The centre also accommodates well-being classes including
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
and
Pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, especially in countries suc ...
.


References

* Book -
James L. Dow James Leslie Dow (5 March 1908 – 1977) was a Church of Scotland minister, broadcaster and author. Born at Paisley and educated at Glasgow University (Trinity College), Dow was ordained in 1932 and spent several years as a chaplain in Assam, ...
- Greenock - *https://web.archive.org/web/20110927005721/http://www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/scotland/Units/432.html *https://web.archive.org/web/20101024005409/http://guide.visitscotland.com/vs/guide/5%2Cen%2CSCH1/objectId%2CENT50192Svs%2Ccurr%2CGBP%2Cseason%2Cat1%2CselectedEntry%2Chome/home.html


External links


Beacon Arts Centre website
{{Scottish Theatres Greenock Scottish artist groups and collectives