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The cash from the York and North Yorkshire Mayor’s Vibrant High Streets Fund will be used to continue work on regenerating part of Scarborough’s Old Town, reaching from St Helen’s Square – including the Market Hall – along Newborough to Blands Cliff. Working in partnership, Scarborough Studios and This is Scarborough will use the money to continue work which has seen part of St Helen’s Square and Newborough transformed. What was the Shakespeare pub is now an art gallery, artists’ studios and a performance space. The newsagent's is the Glass Box gallery and the old toilets are an information centre set up and run by marketing and branding organisation This Is Scarborough. Toby Hyam set up This Is Scarborough two years ago with urban regeneration expert Chris Sands. “The money allows us to do even more,” said Sally Gorham, the chair of Scarborough Studios, an umbrella organisation which oversees the Old Parcels Office gallery at Scarborough Railway Station, the Shakespeare performance hub, Glass Box gallery, Studio 49, Mandy Apple art gallery and Gallery 39. “It will be focused exclusively in this area,” she said. “Toby and I do this for the love of it, in our own time. This gives us the capacity to really make something of this part of the town which we are both passionate about.” "Connecting Blands Cliff to the market is important,” she said. Eighteen projects across North Yorkshire, including two in Scarborough, received funding from mayor David Skaith’s Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund. The Stephen Joseph Theatre was the other Scarborough beneficiary. A development manager will be appointed to head This Is Scarborough and Scarborough Studio’s year-long project which will focus on cultural activity and work with artists, playwrights and other creatives. "What we want to do is get the businesses working together, use art and other creative projects as a lever to get people to come down and get the cafes and restaurants opening at the same time,” said Sally. Toby said: “If Sally and Scarborough Studios were not doing what they are doing, there would be six empty shops here.” The second phase of the regeneration project will build on what This Is Scarborough and Scarborough Studios have already achieved in and around St Helen’s Square and Newborough. As well as art galleries and the Shakespeare revamp, new signage has been put up along St Helen’s Square, there is a new mural, painted by artist Mary Naylor, and a poem written by Charlotte Oliver, written above the information centre on the corner of the street. Charlotte’s poem runs: “To be awed, inspired. A child again. Or simply to be – Head down to the sea.” Toby and Chris have, with Sally and Andrew Aldis, spearheaded the transformation, bringing in artists and writers along the way. “Quite a few businesses in the town wanted to create a brand identity for Scarborough and start promoting the town centre in particular and this is what This Is Scarborough is doing,” said Toby. “Our agenda is to improve the town centre. It is a good town centre and we want to provide a positive and constructive set of ideas and opportunities to make it even better,” said Toby. "The first thing we have done is create a map. It is both for residents and visitors and makes visually clear all the stuff you can do in Scarborough, all the major landmarks and places," he said. The map, which costs £1, was designed and drawn by Scarborough-born and bred artist Hannah Grahamslaw who has a studio next door in the Glass Box Gallery. “It makes it much easier to navigate your way around and understand what is going on,” said Toby. “On the back there is all the ‘what to do’ things: what to do if it is raining, what’s free to do, arts and culture, where the independent shops are, what the traditional seaside things are and where the craft ale pubs can be found.” Digital trails have also been created and map users can scan QR codes on their Smartphones which will direct them to antique and vintage outlets, artists and makers, independent shops, retro seaside, amazing buildings and maritime heritage. “Each of the shops on the trails also has stickers in them. You can see on Google Maps where each thing is. It is a way of finding stuff in the town centre, quickly and easily,” said Toby. Toby invited vintage shop The Game Pad in St Thomas Street to join the trail. “We put his profile on Google Maps and there were 50,000 downloads which led to sales. “For me that is evidence the digital trail has an impact,” said Toby. The This Is Scarborough headquarters in St Helen’s Square is open each Friday and Saturday and used by residents and visitors. "A resident of the Old Town came in, wondering what to do that night. He had not seen an Alan Ayckbourn play for some time and went to the last night of Earth Angel at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. He loved it and reconnected with theatre,” said Toby. Chris, who works on regeneration projects in other towns including Pickering and Malton, said: “Our methodology is bringing business together and working together.” This Is Scarborough’s next big ‘thing’ is the publication of a 150-page book called A Local’s Guide to Scarborough, to be published in the spring. "We want residents and regular visitors to tell us the things they love about Scarborough and the places they like going,” said Toby. "It will be packed with illustrations and great photos and be the perfect resource to try out new experiences, tours and stuff to do in and around Scarborough whatever time of year that you visit,” he said. If you would like to contribute to the guide,http://info@thisisscarborough.org.uk email your information to: info@thisisscarborough.org.uk
