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The Arches: the latest victim in the UK's clubbing crackdown
Other | Wednesday 10th June 2015 | Arren
The Arches was a premier arts facility in Glasgow that embraced all art forms underneath its roof. Last month the city council limited their license due to a high number of drug and alcohol related incidents, which forced the venue to close its doors at midnight. This meant no more club nights, which accounted for 50% of the annual turnover. At the time Mark Anderson, the club's executive, warned this "may well result in the closure" of The Arches.
Today, The Arches announced it's been placed into administration, as the new license restrictions meant the business was "untenable". The chairmen from the venue’s board of directors, Gordon Kennedy said: "The Board has taken professional advice and is left no choice than to begin the process of appointing administrators for both The Arches Theatre Ltd and Arches Retail Ltd. This decision has been taken with deep regret as it will have major impact on our staff, business partners, customers, and on Glasgow reputation for night time economy".
Kennedy also said he was "humbled by the hundreds of artists and industry professionals from all disciplines who have lent their signature and their voice to the cause’ and hopes ‘that the administrators, working with partners and stakeholders, can salvage some of the activities for which The Arches is renowned".
Despite all their best efforts The Arches time has drawn to a close. It has become the latest casualty in the UK's clubbing crisis, unfortunately this time it was more than just a club that has been hit. It was a leading music venue, not just in the UK but also in Europe, and it served as a creative hub for all the arts to come together and share the same space. All upcoming events have been cancelled and there will just be an empty shell of what was once an iconic arts venue in one of Scotland’s biggest cities.
