George Ferguson has granted a 999-year lease for Tabacco Factory Theatres free of charge in what has been described as a historic moment for the Bristol charity. The former mayor of Bristol saved the abandoned Tobacco Factory building on Raleigh Road from demolition back in 1993 to repurpose it as an experimental cultural hub for the city.
The lease covers the whole first floor of the building in South Bristol where the theatre company runs from two auditoriums - the Factory Theatre and Spielman Theatre. The independent charity Tobacco Theatre Arts Trust has operated in the space since 2005 offering a rich programme of theatre and other arts.
Owner of Tobacco Facotry, George Ferguson, said: “It has always been my intention that the Tobacco Factory should benefit the wider South Bristol community long after I have gone. I felt that the time has come to start that process.
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"It has been a fascinating experiment in local regeneration and I hope the Tobacco Factory Arts Trust continues to do great things for the next 999 years!"
The lease - which extends to the next millennium - has been described as a generous gift by the trust demonstrating a significant commitment to Bristol's rich cultural offering. The trust has said the decision helps the theatre after a period of uncertainty during the Covid-19 pandemic and secures its plans as they approach its 20th anniversary in September.
Sarah Smith, Chair of Tobacco Factory Theatres, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to George who continues to champion the value of community and theatre and has done so much for Bristol. This very generous gift is an incredibly positive step for the theatre as it looks ahead to its next 20 years!”
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Mike Tweddle, Artistic Director and David Dewhurst, Executive Director at Tobacco Factory Theatres, echoed the importance of this gift for the charity: “This hugely generous gift from George Ferguson empowers us as we celebrate two decades of ambitious growth and experimentation, and share a vision for the decades ahead. We are more motivated than ever to continue creating extraordinary creative adventures for the people of Bristol and beyond.”
The former mayor - who was in office between 2012 and 2016 - saved the building from demolition when an initial plan of converting the site into flats fell through. He first discussed gifting the lease to the arts trust as part of the 25th anniversary of Tobacco Factory in 2019.
"The rest of the building will eventually go into a trust foundation for the artists of South Bristol, when I have paid off my debts. I know people think I am rich man, but I have always borrowed, otherwise I couldn’t have done all this," Mr Ferguson told the South Bristol Voice in 2019.
He said he wanted to make sure that we can sustain the theatre forever and that we reach out much further and deeper into South Bristol. The Tobacco Factory is one of the few surviving buildings from the great Imperial Tobacco site.
Extensive renovation works took place between 1994 – 2000 with various pop-up events occurring in the building, including theatre shows. The Cafe Bar opened in 2001 and the Sunday Market launched years later in 2004.
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