MUSIC and dancing are to shake decades of dust off an historic dance hall.
The old Cooperative Dance Hall in Bedlington Station, Northumberland, has stood empty for years. But now, a new generation of dancers will glide over its boards as it is transformed into a busy community hub.
Colin Patterson, from Bedlington, is behind the project to renovate the building as The Station, a community music and arts academy.
He said the historic dance hall is still packed with original features.
“The Cooperative Dance Hall is a beautiful old building, but it has been empty almost as long as I can remember – and I’ve lived in Bedlington all my life,” said Colin.
“I think it was briefly a labour exchange when I was a lad, but I don’t know how long it had been empty before that.”
Now Colin and a team of volunteers have leased the building and are looking for investors to help them create the new community academy.
The project could see activities and courses offered for old and young alike, from music and dancing to puppet shows and school plays.
“The building still has all the old features like the stage and the balcony, and fittings like original ceiling roses,” he said. “Everything is in a gothic style, it really is a superb building.
“We hope to maintain all of those features but refurbish it. We’d like to see an indoor bowls green, a mini-cinema, a stage for plays and pantomimes, a recording studio, and space for other groups to use.
“We hope it will become a community hub for people in Bedlington Station.”
Colin said quotes for the refurbishment work have been around £300,000 – meaning they need all the support they can get to turn the project into a reality.
“We need investors,” he said. “Wansbeck Enterprise Centre are supporting us and we’re going to local funding fairs but we need as much support as possible.”
If you can help, contact Colin on 01670 828150 or cpatterson44@hotmail.com.
