A THEATRE company in Reading revealed their proposals for Reading gaol in a meeting held last month with key players involved in the campaign.
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Sally Swift is a director for Theatre and Arts Reading (TAR) and said they have been working for the last four years to look at the feasibility of what could happen to the gaol.
Mrs Swift explained TAR is "committed" for the gaol to become a cultural and community hub and have come up with proposals for the site, should they put forward a bid to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
TAR would like to see a performance space, a museum around prison reform and something which acknowledges Oscar Wilde's incarceration.
Mrs Swift said: “The one thing we’re really committed to is the performance space and we are looking at possibly being able to provide a small-scale 200-seater theatre and a larger scale 600-seater theatre."
She continued: "The most important thing I think is the landscaping and the open space to ensure that there is plenty of open space for the people of Reading to come and enjoy the facility.”
Mrs Swift believes “Reading probably has punched below its weight on cultural activities".
She said: "We have got the very good Hexagon and 21 South Street.
"But to identify a cultural hub within the town centre is very important and there are many artists and performers that would really appreciate having a central space to be displaying their work, using it for their own crafts.”
Mrs Swift also took the time to thank everybody who has supported TAR over the years.
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