As the homegrown team behind Swansea Arena prepare to open the doors, the venue’s head of Marketing & Communications Joe Bayliss shares with John-Paul Davies the plan to reach for new heights while preserving the city’s roots – starting with two nights of ‘housewarming’ gigs packed with local talent.
Swansea Arena will soon be open and events are already on sale. But for those of us who haven’t been inside, how would you describe the space?
It’s most definitely an epic space. The auditorium itself is jawdropping, with an immense main stage and striking red acoustic V-cut panels lining the walls and box facades. The venue capacity is 3,500 in a mix of seated and standing, or 2,196 all-seated. It is made all the more staggering in that it’s fully modular, with a partition wall able to separate the space into the main auditorium floor as well as a conference theatre in the circle seating 750 with its own dedicated stage – with both areas able to be run simultaneously!
The concourse areas are beautifully designed. They are stunning spaces, worthy of a visit in their own right, with bars and food outlets across all levels, as well as a café and our box office in the main foyer at Coastal Park level. There is a VIP lounge and a variety of meeting rooms, all digitally connected, to suit groups from two to 145.
The venue has met with a mixed response from local promoters and venues who bemoan the lack of audience for local artists while punters will pay through the nose for the big names. How do you plan to redress this and reach out to the burgeoning local Swansea music community, which some would argue has never been in better shape?
As you’re aware, my background is in community engagement and community events, and I couldn’t agree more. The Swansea music scene, the scene in the surrounding areas and the wider cultural community in Wales have never been stronger, outputting world-class content consistently. We at Swansea Arena are a team predominantly made up of residents of Swansea and the surrounding areas with backgrounds in the cultural community and are mindful of this in all we do.
We want to simply be another aspect, another side, to the burgeoning cultural offering of Swansea. The grassroots and ‘big name’ circuits do not operate separately, and simply work to bolster one another. A thriving scene is a thriving scene; big names only exist because of grassroots venues like Sin City, the Bunkhouse, Hangar 18 and the Garage to name a few and we look forward to working together in the future.
Will the test event gigs be a regular feature, and is there room for local artists alongside the international touring acts?
There’s definitely more than enough space for local promoters and producers. The Arena has the drive to provide a platform not just for international touring acts and commercial clients and partners in conferencing and industry events, but also for emerging arts and creative industries in the region.
With the focus of council money changing from the Kingsway to Wind Street to the High Street and now Oystermouth Road, how do you see Swansea Arena within the infrastructure of Swansea as a whole?
It’s a vital and much-needed element within the area’s infrastructure. The link between the city centre and the coast is being strengthened with a direct path that can be walked without crossing a road – from Oxford Street to the Copr Bay district, over Oystermouth Road on the new bridge. The development is providing a whole swathe of new jobs, both permanent and casual, a new outlet for world-class entertainment in the region, as well as being something both inspirational and aspirational.
I think I speak for the whole contingent of Swansea born and bred staff here when I say we never thought the opportunity to play a part in this story would come about. The changes seen in Swansea around the Arena as well as the Copr Bay development are profound, and the local attitude around the build is remarkably positive.
We know of some big names that Swansea Arena has managed to bag – Royal Blood, Alice Cooper – alongside great comedy [including John Bishop, pictured above] and dance acts that points toward diverse programming. Is this the intention of the venue moving forward and can you give us any hints of things to look forward to in the future?
There’s an incredibly mindful approach to programming within ATG and the Arena itself, and an intention to make sure that there is something for everyone. The programming teams are dedicated experts in their area but are always keen to take on board local feedback and liaise with our venue team regularly on what can work in the local region. The ongoing calendar of events, stretching well into the future, is unbelievably exciting, and I know we all can’t wait to see the reaction from the public as we begin announcing our future programme.
Housewarming Part #1 (Trampolene, The Vega Bodegas, Inscape, The Now), Fri 25 Feb. Tickets: £5.
Housewarming Part #2 (Prosperina, Lost Tuesday Society, King Goon, Pearler, Fallen Temples, Cities, The Orange Circus Band), Sat 26 Feb. Tickets: £5.
Info: www.swansea-arena.co.uk
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES
