In September 2024, key stakeholders of the Babylon Gallery, Ely, were told that the community venue faced financial struggle.
A community group took action and attempted to secure funding from local authorities to keep the gallery running, however, their efforts were unsuccessful and the Babylon Gallery will now close in September 2025.
Leading up to the closure of the gallery, an informal meeting will take place to try and secure a new space for creatives in East Cambridgeshire to come to.
It is hoped that at the meeting, a working group can be formed to explore ideas and try and identify areas in the city that can be used as a new gallery.
The meeting will take place on September 4, at 7pm at the Babylon Gallery, just days before the keys must be returned.
In a letter to the Ely Standard in August, reader Kevin Perry said that it brought him “great sadness” to see the contents of the Babylon Gallery up for sale.
He said that he felt “ashamed” that the local councils allowed the closure of Babylon Gallery to happen.
In March of this year, a political row erupted between the Liberal Democrat MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire, Charlotte Cane, and Conservative leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, Cllr Anna Bailey.
The MP said that the closure of the Babylon Gallery could have been prevented if the District Council had agreed a proposed budget amendment.
However, Cllr Bailey said that the District Council had worked in partnership with the City of Ely Council and Babylon Arts, but to no avail.
She said that the District Council’s doors will “always be open” if Babylon Arts want to engage with them.
Ted Coney, of Waterside in Ely, hopes that in the upcoming meeting the local councillors will engage with the community to find a replacement venue.
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