Campaign Sails On

Members of the town's Spotlight Children's Theatre Company, which is so popular it has a waiting list to join, were in the town centre to collect signatures on a petition for the newly launched Save the Windmill Campaign.

They joined others who are hoping to persuade Arun District Council that the seafront venue should be kept open as a cinema and theatre.

Jackie Mallinson, leader of the campaign, was pleased with the public's response on Saturday. "The feedback from people signing the petition was very good.

"They felt it was a very good cause to support and were pleased to see the young people getting involved, too."

Last week a meeting organised by Mrs Mallinson to launch the campaign attracted more than 100 members of the public and dance, drama and music societies who use the Windmill.

Arun District Council is reviewing the Windmill's future, against reported losses of more than 100,000 a year and estimated costs of 250,000 to 500,000 to modernise the council-owned venue.

The council is expected, within weeks, to advertise the Windmill for sale or lease to interested parties but the Gazette understands a condition could be imposed that theatre and cinema use should remain.

More backing for the campaign has come from a new community outreach theatre company, EastSide Theatre Projects, which has staged two highly successful productions at the Windmill, involving dozens of local schoolchildren, as well as an adult chorus of amateur singers and other professionals.

Now EastSide is working on a new project, supported by Arun, to be performed there at the end of June, following a series of workshops (see the Gazette).

Later in the year, an adaptation of Carmen is planned.

EastSide's Liz Pearson, from Rustington, said: "If the theatre is lost, it will be difficult to find a replacement venue in Arun to run projects and productions of this kind to the level we have so far achieved.

"I would like to add that, in view of the funding support which our projects have so far attracted, it seems an extremely short-sighted policy to lose a valuable community resource at a time when, in other parts of the country, councils and communities are now trying to replace theatres which were previously sold off, or demolished for short-term profit."