We are told that performance students need audiences. No-one would disagree with that. The problem comes in being asked to believe that they will only have audiences if they are at the Arts Centre. Much is made of the 800 000 visits made each year to the Museum and surrounding area by out-of town visitors. This passing crowd, it is said, would only be exposed to the talent in the music programme with an auditorium in the Arts Centre. Setting aside the assumption that has been made that these people have the time and inclination to attend concerts, it is far from self- evident that they will only attend if the university has an auditorium of its own on the site. It is much more likely that the majority of such captured audiences will have been attracted to the site by the heritage buildings and would far prefer a concert in the Great Hall. Music students do not need to study in the central city to perform there.
By this logic, Fine Arts students, who need spectators as much as music students need an audience, should not only be displaying their works from time to time in the SOFA Gallery, but should have their studios relocated to the city.
By all means let us have more performances in the city at any of the many venues that are available, but do not pretend it is necessary to have a building in town in order to do so.
As to the reason why concerts on the campus are not well supported, the university need look no further than the increased work load on staff as a result of successive cuts to Liberal Arts programmes, and the introduction of an admission charge, no doubt in order to help meet the Music Department's contribution margin.
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