10 Years On: Time to celebrate! Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham hosts a special month-long celebration

Sara Spade, April 12

Midge Ure, April 28

African Night Fever, April 14

Snake Davis, April 20. Credit: Steve Clark

Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham is celebrating its 10th anniversary this April with a special month-long celebration of events featuring several high-profile performers.

Artists lined up include Band Aid’s Midge Ure, punk poet John Cooper Clarke, comedian Bridget Christie and jazz legend Courtney Pine. There will also be a series of free events including jazz, folk and ukulele afternoons, plus a free African dance workshop.

To celebrate, a special anniversary brochure has been released where you can meet the team behind Ropetackle and hear from key figures who have played a part in the story so far.

Artistic director and trustee Anne Hodgson said: “10 years ago the centre opened with no heating, no audiences and no money! Today, Ropetackle is an award-winning venue with a national reputation attracting audiences from all over the world”.

The journey however has not always been smooth. In 2011 the centre almost closed due to a funding crisis but was saved by incredible public support. As such, Anne believes Ropetackle’s survival is “a triumph for all the community.”

“This is reflected in the loyal audience support, the way the community generously responded to the 2011 appeal, and by the numerous volunteers who have worked tirelessly to create a welcoming, safe and secure environment for our audiences.”

Bridget Christie, April 1

Marketing manager Mark Phillips added: “The anniversary is particularly significant because not many people realise Ropetackle is a charity staffed almost entirely by volunteers. Community lies at our heart.”

For Shoreham resident and leading UK concert guitarist Richard Durrant: “Ropetackle represents the very best of what can be achieved by a bunch of determined locals.”

He continued: “Ropetackle is something Sussex can be truly proud of. It is not just a thriving arts centre, but an inspiring miracle. Opened at the start of a crippling recession and initially greeted with scepticism, the volunteers and staff have worked tirelessly against staggering odds to create their own, very special success story.”

Ropetackle’s survival is a triumph for all the community

Richard is not the only artist to offer kind words. International bestselling author Peter James said: “I’m thrilled how Ropetackle has been taken to heart by so many and love giving my annual talks here – you get incredible warmth and enthusiasm from the audiences.”

Adding to this, pop icon Midge Ure – performing at the centre for a third time during the celebrations – said: “Playing at Ropetackle is always a delight. Venues like this are the lifeblood of the music industry and it’s vitally important that they remain great places to play. Anne and her team always go the extra mile to make sure everyone has a great time!”

John Cooper Clarke, April 5

Such comments reflect what Anne believes to be a warmth and spontaneity about Ropetackle that comes from its community heart: “This reputation has spread and enables us to attract increasingly high quality artists.”

For a 200 capacity venue, Ropetackle’s ability to punch above its weight is remarkable. In 2012 The Who frontman Roger Daltrey performed alongside bandmate Simon Townshend. In 2014 this year’s Brighton Festival guest director Kate Tempest launched her new book of poetry. And countless high-profile comedians have previewed their material over the years including Alan Carr, Jo Brand, Sean Lock and Romesh Ranganathan.

Ropetackle regularly works with local artists too. Mark added: “In recent years we’ve developed our outreach programme, collaborating with local groups to engage the community. We’ve organised two successful ukulele festivals with Shoreham collective Uke @ The Duke, arranged workshops at local family centres with Brighton’s Long Nose Puppets, and for many years partnered with Shoreham Wordfest to deliver their annual literary festival. Our recent project ‘A Band Anyone Can Join’ culminated in a free concert with local musicians, schools and other groups performing together on Shoreham’s Coronation Green.”

Alongside the anniversary Ropetackle has also launched a fundraising appeal. Mark explained: “After 10 years some of our key equipment is now deteriorating and we need to raise £20,000 to cover the necessary upgrades. Our target is to reach this by the middle of May and we’ve organised a Race Night (May 6) and Silent Auction (May 13) in aid of this. We are also encouraging people to join our fantastic Friends scheme which will not only support the cause, but includes benefits such as priority booking.

April is shaping up to be something very special at Ropetackle, and with events covering comedy, folk, jazz, pop, poetry, world music, dance, film and theatre, there is something for everyone to get involved and enjoy.

To view Ropetackle’s full anniversary programme, visit: ropetacklecentre.co.uk