The Arches ‘taking legal advice’ over club closure

Feature by News Team | 20 May 2015

Glasgow multi-arts venue The Arches have stated they are “taking legal advice” on appealing a decision by the city’s licensing board to cut the venue’s opening hours, effectively outlawing its nightclub operation.

The venue – which plays host to a wide range of cultural events including club nights, gigs, theatre productions and art exhibitions – had been at the centre of a row between police and licensing authorities following a number of drug-related incidents at Arches club nights in recent years. Police Scotland applied for the venue to be shut down in March, with that attempt thrown out by councillors, but on Friday Glasgow City Council’s licensing board voted to restrict the venue to a midnight finish seven nights a week.

In a statement, The Arches’ executive director Mark Anderson said: “We are still stunned by Friday’s decision and at a loss to understand just what more we could have done to provide a safer clubbing environment at The Arches. Over the period under review, we welcomed over 250,000 clubbers through our doors. Of that number, just 0.14% were reported for misuse of drugs incidents.

“What is more worrying is that despite the increased safety measures we adopted on the recommendation of Police Scotland, which had already alienated many of our valued club customers, our successful operation of those policies has resulted in the statistics being used against us.”

A change.org petition urging both Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council to reconsider their decision has been signed by over 32,000 people, and the venue’s artistic director Lucy Mason has thanked supporters for their “passionate and articulate” backing.

Mason said: “We have been overwhelmed by the humbling and heartening support for The Arches and would like to thank everyone for being so passionate and articulate on our behalf.

“It is impossible to imagine the cultural landscape with The Arches wiped off the map, a situation which is entirely possible given the interdependency of the Arts and Club activity within (The Arches).”

In an open letter published in The Herald, the Scottish Society of Playwrights gave their backing to the venue, describing The Arches as "committed to giving a voice to those of us pushed into the margins. Were it to close, these voices would see a serious threat to their growing sense of legitimacy and equality."


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