News: First festive season at Forge Island
Visitors to Forge Island in Rotherham can now enjoy some extra special "sparkle" lighting up the new leisure destination throughout the festive season.
To mark its first Christmas since completion, nationwide place maker, Muse – who delivered the scheme in partnership with Rotherham Council – has funded a new light installation in the form of a giant present wrapped in a bow which is now in situ in the attractive waterside setting.
The new landmark development for the town, Forge Island, which officially launched with a special celebration event in September, is home to independent movie theatre, The Arc Cinema and Travelodge Hotel, with a host of eateries set to join the neighbourhood in the coming months.
Raife Gale, Senior Project Manager at Muse said: “We wanted to celebrate the first Christmas season here with something special, and we hope this striking light installation will help spread a little festive cheer. I know there will be lots of people heading to the cinema to enjoy a Christmas film or visiting from further afield to stay at the hotel whilst seeing friends and family locally – and this is a gift from us to welcome everyone coming to enjoy Forge Island.”
The new light installation is a welcome addition to Rotherham town centre’s colourful Christmas illuminations – with hundreds of local people attending the town centre’s official light switch on earlier this month. Forge Island played its part in the celebrations – with processional performances from Punjabi Roots Dhol drummers across the new pedestrian bridge; a sound and light installation entitled ‘Breathe’ by Sheffield-based theatre company Pif-Paf and Moon Palace – a former school bus converted into a mobile observatory and artwork - parking up to offer people an opportunity to ‘star gaze’ on site.
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Andrew Bramidge, Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment at Rotherham Council: "The light installation at Forge Island looks fantastic and we'd love to see shoppers visiting Forge Island to take photos with it. We'd like to thank Muse for gifting the installation to Rotherham this Christmas.
"Forge Island is a key part of Rotherham town centre's bright future and we can't wait to welcome new food and drink offers over the coming months to join Arc Cinema and Travelodge. There's lots of work going on behind the scenes and announcements will follow soon, but in the meantime, we'd urge everyone to try Arc Cinema - especially with Christmas blockbusters hitting the screens - with free 3.5-hour parking for cinema goers."
In addition to big name showings including Moana 2 and Wicked, Arc are getting into the Christmas spirit with classic Christmas films for £5, event cinema with The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, discounted family tickets, and a prize draw.
Forge Island has been completely transformed from a derelict site – which has historical significance as a former foundry and an iron works – into a flagship leisure destination for the town. Together with Rotherham Markets, the improvements at Forge Island are a key part of Rotherham Council’s large-scale regeneration plans which are a catalyst for kickstarting new life into the heart of the borough.
It is hoped that Forge Island will continue to be a central hub for family-friendly activities year-round and the team are exploring opportunities for even more activities to complement other events across the town.
Forge Island is located next to Rotherham train and tram station and there is free parking available on site for cinemagoers and Travelodge users. It is also free to park in all other Council-owned off-street town centre car parks every weekend.
Forge Island website
Images: Muse / RMBC
To mark its first Christmas since completion, nationwide place maker, Muse – who delivered the scheme in partnership with Rotherham Council – has funded a new light installation in the form of a giant present wrapped in a bow which is now in situ in the attractive waterside setting.
The new landmark development for the town, Forge Island, which officially launched with a special celebration event in September, is home to independent movie theatre, The Arc Cinema and Travelodge Hotel, with a host of eateries set to join the neighbourhood in the coming months.
Raife Gale, Senior Project Manager at Muse said: “We wanted to celebrate the first Christmas season here with something special, and we hope this striking light installation will help spread a little festive cheer. I know there will be lots of people heading to the cinema to enjoy a Christmas film or visiting from further afield to stay at the hotel whilst seeing friends and family locally – and this is a gift from us to welcome everyone coming to enjoy Forge Island.”
The new light installation is a welcome addition to Rotherham town centre’s colourful Christmas illuminations – with hundreds of local people attending the town centre’s official light switch on earlier this month. Forge Island played its part in the celebrations – with processional performances from Punjabi Roots Dhol drummers across the new pedestrian bridge; a sound and light installation entitled ‘Breathe’ by Sheffield-based theatre company Pif-Paf and Moon Palace – a former school bus converted into a mobile observatory and artwork - parking up to offer people an opportunity to ‘star gaze’ on site.
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Andrew Bramidge, Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment at Rotherham Council: "The light installation at Forge Island looks fantastic and we'd love to see shoppers visiting Forge Island to take photos with it. We'd like to thank Muse for gifting the installation to Rotherham this Christmas.
"Forge Island is a key part of Rotherham town centre's bright future and we can't wait to welcome new food and drink offers over the coming months to join Arc Cinema and Travelodge. There's lots of work going on behind the scenes and announcements will follow soon, but in the meantime, we'd urge everyone to try Arc Cinema - especially with Christmas blockbusters hitting the screens - with free 3.5-hour parking for cinema goers."
In addition to big name showings including Moana 2 and Wicked, Arc are getting into the Christmas spirit with classic Christmas films for £5, event cinema with The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, discounted family tickets, and a prize draw.
Forge Island has been completely transformed from a derelict site – which has historical significance as a former foundry and an iron works – into a flagship leisure destination for the town. Together with Rotherham Markets, the improvements at Forge Island are a key part of Rotherham Council’s large-scale regeneration plans which are a catalyst for kickstarting new life into the heart of the borough.
It is hoped that Forge Island will continue to be a central hub for family-friendly activities year-round and the team are exploring opportunities for even more activities to complement other events across the town.
Forge Island is located next to Rotherham train and tram station and there is free parking available on site for cinemagoers and Travelodge users. It is also free to park in all other Council-owned off-street town centre car parks every weekend.
Forge Island website
Images: Muse / RMBC
21 comments:
Pity the wind seems to have wrecked this already
Festive season with none of the planned bars or restaurants....you couldn't make it up!
Hopefully it will be repaired before Christmas.
It will be nice when they announce someone, not just speculation, or is anyone really in the know?
I'm sure the decoration will be a welcome addition for those visiting the cinema and hotel over the holiday season.
Seems pointless when there is no footfall there.
Instead of putting pointless decorations get the area filled.
It's a great little place but I don't know who is charge of filling it but muse or the council have failed.
Has the decoration been put back? There was quite a gathering of council workers on Forge Island on Saturday inspecting the damage.
It's about as close the the town centre as I can stomach, but I'll give the Arc a try over Xmas. It's not their fault they've been badly let down on the bars and restaurants.
The Arc have been sold the site under false pretences, the council should be reducing their rent at the very least.
The council cannot be held responsible for the operator of the proposed restaurants going into administration. No doubt new restaurants will arrive once the Muse and the council have secured occupants, though there will then probably be comments on here that they are the wrong restaurants, they're not the type of place they would visit, they should have opened 4 Wetherspoons instead etc.
The administration line from the council/muse is a load of rubbish. Estabulo, Casa Peri Peri and Cafe Noor are all still operating in various locations.
The company went into administration and closed several branches as well as suspending new openings. The branches currently open were bought out of administration into a new company (though they share the same Directors so there is probably some unethical accounting taking place) so nothing down to Muse or the council
It wasn’t just one company that pulled out, had muse & council undertaken any due diligence?
Nothing to do with the council, except perhaps a complete failure to undertake any appropriate due diligence!
Due diligence is due diligence. It can't be inappropriate.
There were 3 operators signed up to open 6 restaurants. Casa Peri Peri, Estabulo, Sakku Samba and Caffé Noor were operated by the same company that was liquidated. Cow & Cream was a separate company who also closed due to financial difficulties. The last operator was The Rustic Pizza Company. They claimed they pulled out due to the other operators leaving the development, though there were articles online that one of their Doncaster branches was closed as they could not afford the rent increase, which would again suggest they are having financial difficulties. None of this is down to Muse or the council.
It's overdue I think.
You don’t work for the council do you?
Muse have made a fantastic job of Forge Island and it will come good very soon
Look really good those lights
It would only be relevant if he was on the council, not working for it.
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