“Hands Off Howden Park”: Saving Livingston’s Local Theatre

Written by Jacqueline.

In the heart of Livingston, Scotland resides a gem of a building. Howden Park Centre is a multi-space venue boasting an auditorium with almost 300 seats, first opened in 1972 and extensively refurbished and re-developed in 2009. A varied programme of performances runs year-round, including live music, dance and comedy. The venue is home to local theatre group Firefly Arts, as well as hosting all kinds of events from weddings to workshops for schools. Howden Park is the only event space of its kind for the 180,000 residents of West Lothian. Now, the building is at risk of closure in less than three months as one of the latest in a series of money-saving proposals put forward by West Lothian Council, which would also see the closure of three local swimming pools.

It cannot be understated how big of a role Howden Park Centre plays in bringing theatre to the Livingston and wider West Lothian community. The venue often hosts performances that have already been played in larger venues, enabling people who cannot travel into the cities to enjoy some of the same experiences of live theatre. “The Simon and Garfunkel Story”, “Abbamania” and “The Dolls” are just a handful of shows scheduled to perform at Howden Park in the coming months which have recently performed at venues such as the King’s Theatre Glasgow and the Edinburgh Playhouse. On a smaller scale, other upcoming shows include local production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, and Tall Stories’ “The Smeds and The Smoos”, shows which encourage families to attend and may offer young children their first experience of the performing arts. For many West Lothian residents, Howden Park offers a safe and nurturing environment to explore theatre both as an audience member and a participant.

To find out a bit more about what the centre means to locals, I caught up with Charlie Houston, a former member of the Firefly Arts programme, who explained that:

“Howden Park Centre was like a second home to me in my teenage years. Being a member of Firefly gave me the space to find who I was on a personal and creative level. My time at Firefly helped me come to terms with my gender and sexuality in a space that felt safe.

During my teenage years I struggled greatly with my mental health and having Howden Park Centre as a place to go to and express myself and my feelings in an environment that I felt supported helped me to overcome these struggles and become a happier person.

I made friends and professional contacts that have stayed with me well into my 20s and given me opportunities to grow as a creative. I would be heartbroken to see Howden Park Centre and the opportunities it comes with taken away from the young people of West Lothian.”

However, all hope is not lost. Since the proposal to close the facility was announced by West Lothian Council, the “Hands Off Howden Park” community group has formed and is determined to raise awareness of the circumstances and campaign for protecting the theatre. Through a series of in-person events, online fundraising and petitioning, it is hoped that the community will be able to emphasise how crucial the venue is to local councillors and secure the support necessary to keep the centre running. On May 13th a rally took place and dozens of activists marched from Howden Park to the Civic Centre to demonstrate their opposition to the closure of the venue.

For those of you who are further afield, you can still support the cause. The petition currently has over 10,000 signatures, and every single one counts. Since Covid and the subsequent cost of living crisis, many communities up and down the UK have faced the threat of losing libraries, community centres and performing arts spaces due to funding challenges. I’m sure that many people reading this, even if you’ve never visited Howden Park Centre specifically, know of a venue close to your hear which has impacted you the way that Howden Park has affected the West Lothian community.

In the words of former Firefly Arts performer Fletcher Irvine:

“Howden Park gave me a place to be myself when I felt I couldn’t elsewhere. It would be a real shame to see young people in West Lothian lose that space”

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