Quintain announced today that it is launching a 4,000 sq ft market hall in Wembley Park this spring. The plan sounds rather like a market version of Box Park's catering space. Quintain is working with MrktMrkt a London-based market and retail operator.
Quite what will be sold in the market is hard to discern from the statement by Matt Slade, Quintain's retail director:
Meanwhile the new Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, to be built within the Fountain Studios, looks more accessible to the general public, with the acclaimed National Theatre production of War Horse due to open there in the autumn. The theatre will have 1,000-2,000 seat capacity with a restaurant and bar space.
The press release announcing the venture said:
There are no details yet of any other productions being staged before War House commences for a limited run from October 18th to November 23rd.
Originally Troubadour expected to stage its first production in autumn 2018.
The Troubadour Facebook page is HERE
Quite what will be sold in the market is hard to discern from the statement by Matt Slade, Quintain's retail director:
The addition of Wembley Park Market is an important reflection of Wembley’s rich heritage. This area has long been a hot bed of creativity and grass-roots entrepreneurship. Wembley Park Market, by its very nature, will be an environment which supports this and in which it can continue to be cultivated. We are looking for exciting independent, artisanal ‘makers and merchants’ that offer services, crafts and products, to make up the tapestry of a vibrant, modern market.It doesn't sound very much like the old Wembley Market, loved by some and condemned by others. It appears, like Quintain's Tipi private rental accommodation, to be all about lifestyle - and perhaps not the lifestyle of longer-establised Wembley residents.
Meanwhile the new Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, to be built within the Fountain Studios, looks more accessible to the general public, with the acclaimed National Theatre production of War Horse due to open there in the autumn. The theatre will have 1,000-2,000 seat capacity with a restaurant and bar space.
The press release announcing the venture said:
Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre will be a fully flexible theatre; a space that can be transformed to suit the requirements for every show – traditional proscenium arch theatre, in-the-round theatrical experiences, or immersive shows. It will encourage theatrical producers to think big, offering them an affordable alternative space to present bold and ambitious shows.The site and ikts neighbours is earmarked for development in the longer term and although the press releases did not say so the theatre is likely to be only temporary as were Troubadour's King Cross Theatres which closed in 2017. Troubadour said that they will ensure tickets are affordable and will undertake educatinal work with local schools.
The Troubadour team has extensive experience of running spectacular theatres including the King’s Cross Theatre which consisted of two 1,000 seat theatres and one 450 seat studio housing the Olivier Award-winning production of The Railway Children, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, David Bowie’s Lazarus and the Donmar’s Shakespeare Trilogy. This will be the first theatre to open in Wembley Park and the first venture between Quintain, the developers behind the transformation of Wembley Park, and Troubadour Theatres providing a new cultural offering for those living, working and visiting Wembley Park.
There are no details yet of any other productions being staged before War House commences for a limited run from October 18th to November 23rd.
Originally Troubadour expected to stage its first production in autumn 2018.
The Troubadour Facebook page is HERE
2 comments:
I was born and raised in Wembley, and still live here. The loss of the old Wembley market was felt by people from as far afield as the Midlands. Will this market cater for the demographic/ economics of the area? Most locals do not have the money to spend on expensive cheeses, or the will to buy over-priced useless craft items for the house.
I wonder what they will charge for a stall? Brent currently charges £177 per day Street Trading Licence, one of the reasons we do not have any street markets in public realm space, it is unaffordable for most traders. Perhaps they are looking to lure traders from existing Artisan Makers and Merchants from some of the established markets such as Portobello, Camden, Borough, Spitafields etc, but markets in these locations have so much more to offer locals and visitors alike. Wembley has lost the yearly visits of the French Market as they were quoted as saying "It's not worth their while as they do not generate enough income" (they still visit Mill Hill, Cricklewood, Muswell Hill which are all outside of Brent). Wembley has been unsuccessful in attracting any Farmers markets, although there is one held in Brent in Queens Park at Salusbury Primary School on Sundays from 10 am. I look forward to seeing a Market in Wembley only time will tell if it will be a success, but if it is only going to be temporary for a few months or years what's the point.
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