LOVERS of the arts are being urged to help build a bigger audience base at Taunton’s Brewhouse theatre.

Kit Chapman, chairman of ArtsTaunton – previously Taunton Cultural Consortium - eventually wants to see the riverside venue assimilated into a larger 1,000-plus seater auditorium at Coal Orchard.

A group from ArtsTaunton are to meet the Arts Council shortly to look at attracting funding for a feasibility study for a flexible centre that could be used for the arts and a conference and exhibition centre.

Meanwhile, students from Richard Huish College are assisting with a cultural mapping exercise to audit all Taunton Deane’s performance spaces.

Referring to ArtsTaunton, Mr Chapman said: “If we can raise Taunton’s arts profile, it will be good for the economy.

“A lot of people don’t realise the connection between the economy and the cultural offer – but where would London be without the West End?

“We want to support culture and, particularly, to support the Brewhouse and build its audience base.

“Our longer term aspiration is to have the 1,000-plus seater auditorium, which would assimilate the Brewhouse and what if offers into a larger facility.

“We want to make Taunton into a hub for business and the arts.”

Mr Chapman said the more user friendly title ArtsTaunton replaced Taunton Cultural Consortium, with the legend ‘Driving prosperity through culture’.

“We want to promote the arts and to include all the cultural and arts organisations under one umbrella,” added Mr Chapman.

“That way we’ll have a much more cohesive, joined up story to tell.”