Theatr Mwldan in Cardigan, West Wales is a highly successful arts centre. Housed in a former slaughterhouse, it was opened in 1988. In less than ten years the building, with its 145 seat auditorium, had became too small and it badly needed refurbishment. The theatre board accordingly proposed an additional auditorium seating up to 300; refitting and redesigning the existing auditorium; improving technical and rehearsal facilities, dressing rooms, offices, exhibition space and front of house. To this end, the board bought 0.75 acres of land immediately adjoining the building.

We produced two reports on the proposals: a feasibility study and a technical appraisal by our colleague Siarlys Evans, the consulting engineers Buro Happold, ACT theatre consultants and Gleeds, quantity surveyors. The feasibility study, following detailed research, was positive and the engineers confirmed that the proposed extension into the adjoining hillside was technically feasible.

We estimated the capital cost at £3,968,400. An application was made to the Arts Council of Wales Lottery Fund, but the project could not be funded at the level requested and ACW proposed a phased development. The theatre rejected this as counter-productive. However, not long afterwards West Wales gained European Regional Development Fund Objective One status. This was the opportunity to rethink the project.

In the course of the study local interest in a multi-media centre with a full range of IT and video facilities was identified. It could be sited in the out-buildings of Bath House farm across the River Mwldan and immediately opposite the theatre. Creative Mwldan Creadigol, as it was called, would be a home for incubating small businesses involved in the creative side of computing and video. It would also, importantly, offer training courses in IT and video production, and any operating surplus from the enterprise would be ploughed back into Theatr Mwldan. In addition, a comprehensive redevelopment of the area around the proposed complex, including road improvements, would help revitalise the town and, with the revised project now envisaged, make a considerable contribution to local regeneration.

The project finally stood at around £7m, but it could now satisfy ERDF Objective One criteria and priorities in a way that a stand-alone arts centre could not. It could also fulfil local authority cultural and regeneration objectives and Welsh Development Agency ambitions for developing an IT skills base in Wales. ACW came on board and when match funding was finally in place an application for ERDF support, accompanied by a detailed business plan by Martin Price Associates, was made under ERDF Objective 1, Priority 5, Measure 6. The project won through, not as originally envisaged, but all the better for that.

Siarlys Evans was retained as project manager through the development stage, as were Buro Happold, Gleeds and ACT. Lawray were appointed as architects, with Andrew Scott Ltd as contractors.

Creative Mwldan Creadigol is up and running and the refurbished and extended theatre was fully operational at the end of May 2004. The formal launch will take place in September.