We represent The Harlequin Users Group, which was set up last year to try to ensure the continuation of the Harlequin Theatre.
The group consists of a variety of users from the more obvious performing artists to other users such as the RNIB and also a youth section, which caters for hundreds of local children including many with learning difficulties and disabilities.
At present the Harlequin’s future is guaranteed until 2011, which is when the centre of Redhill is due to be redeveloped.
However after that time nothing is certain and we want to ensure that a Theatre and Cultural Centre is maintained within the Borough of Reigate and Banstead.
Ideally we would like to see the Harlequin remain but we would not want to stand in the way of the future of Redhill and so we reluctantly accept that the existing Theatre might have to close – but only if a new and better facility is going to be provided!
Decisions are due to be made on the future of this and any other new facility within the next few months hence the urgency to act now.
The Harlequin is important to so many people and if it were to close in 2011 and not be replaced with a similar facility it would be a huge loss to the Borough of Reigate and Banstead.
At the present time we are trying to work with the Council – not against them – and are trying to promote the Harlequin and raise awareness within the Borough about the Theatre thereby showing the Council how much the community cares about its Theatre and to show them that we don’t want to lose the only facility that we have within our community.
To that end we have begun a petition and I would be really grateful if you could either sign up on this website or download a copy of the petion and get as many signatures as possible and return it to the address shown at the bottom of this page. Please feel free to copy as many sheets as you want as we are hoping to get over 10,000 signatures.If we do not show support for this facility now there is a very great possibility that when the decisions are made that the Theatre will be lost and then there will be no Theatre for people within the community to visit and more importantly it will mean that there will be no Cultural Facility for the children of this Borough to practise and learn about the Arts.
Your support will be invaluable and I thank you in advance for your support.
Support The Harlequin
C/O The Tudor Cottage
Tapners Road
Leigh
Surrey
RH2 8NN
Tel 01306 611222
Click here to 'sign' our petition
