As progress on the new The Maltings venue in Berwick gathers place – a second consultation is being held in the town in February. It comes after the Council hosted two public consultation events on the planned transformation of the main venue on Eastern Lane, before a planning application is submitted to the County Council in February 2025.

Now people’s views are being sought on plans for a fully-refurbished Gymnasium Gallery at the town’s Georgian Barracks, providing an additional 150 capacity, year-round venue for exhibitions, arts and live events.

The drop-in gives residents the opportunity to see the latest designs, including a whole new look and feel, accessibility and acoustic improvements and plans for new heating and energy efficiency of the building.

The event, at The Maltings, will be held on Tuesday 4th February between 4-8pm.

Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “I am really grateful for all those who came along to The Maltings to share their views and it’s clear there is overwhelming support for the transformation of the theatre and the regenerational effect on the town.

“We are getting ever closer to this project becoming a reality and I hope people can share their views on these latest proposals for the Gymnasium Gallery.”

Councillor Jeff Watson, Cabinet Member for Healthy Lives, added: “I was delighted to see the number of residents who attended and viewed the latest design proposals on display. It is very exciting to see how it has developed.”

The £28.3m Maltings project is the latest in a number of major investments in the town over recent years – from a new £23m leisure centre, a £4.2million project to create a thriving cultural hub at Berwick Barracks and a new Culture and Creative Zone, further raising Berwick’s profile as a centre for creative activity in the northeast.

For those who can’t make it along to the latest drop-in events for the Gymnasium Gallery, there’s an opportunity to take part in an online survey at nland.cc/Gym25 from February 4th until February 10th.