The Opening of the Brera Modern Museum and the Battle for British Theatres

The Brera Modern Museum, located in Milan, will open on 7 December at the Palazzo Citterio. It has been 52 years since the plans for this museum were proposed, and 39 Italian government offices have been involved in the process. The museum, situated next to the Brera Gallery, will showcase over 100 contemporary works of art, most of which were previously in storage. The Brera gallery, established in 1809, houses masterpieces by Canova, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Hayez. The new museum at the Palazzo Citterio has already attracted 30,000 visitors during its three-week temporary exhibition. It is projected that the expanded Brera, including the Modern Museum, will welcome 500,000 visitors this year.

The Coliseum Theatre in Oldham, which closed in April 2023 after more than 135 years, is set to reopen for Christmas 2025 following a successful preservation campaign. The historic venue is slated to receive a £10 million investment. Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who campaigned for its preservation, expressed, “It’s been a fight, but a fight of hearts and minds because the people of Oldham love this place.”

Facing closure in 2023, The Watermill Theatre Barnum in Newbury has secured a grant of nearly £119,000 from Arts Council England. Currently, it is staging a new play about the life of American circus promoter P.T. Barnum. The theatre has also benefited from the success of last year’s national award-winning production of The Lord of the Rings, which sold 17,000 tickets in 12 weeks.