Loss of the Ironworks will 'leave a gap', says director amid outpouring of memories of Highland venue
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People will realise the true value of the Ironworks once it is gone, says the woman who has led the venue for almost 15 years.
Director Caroline Campbell said the Ironworks as a business will continue after Saturday night’s closing gig by Inverness band Elephant Sessions.
But, she added, no alternative home has yet been identified for the music venue that is being forced to make way for a new city centre hotel, and the loss of gig space will be a huge blow for the Highland capital.
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Despite that she said there was much for her and her team to feel proud about.
The Ironworks opened in 2006 with Ms Campbell in the driving seat since late 2008.
“This is a private business, we’re not publicly-funded, but we have succeeded and we are not going through any fault of our own,” she said.
“We are a private business with a huge community impact and community benefit and that is a great thing.
“People’s reactions to the decision the Ironworks is not going to be here after next week is something we are incredibly proud of.
“And if that is the legacy – that it makes people notice that there are very, very few places like the Ironworks that exist without public funding – that is good.
“It’s only through the diversification of the business model of the Ironworks that we have been here for so long.
“I think people who only see the live side don’t understand there is a whole other part that supports the staff that will continue with live events as well, whatever that may look like.
“We deliver XpoNorth and XpoNorth Digital, Future Creatives with UHI, courses with Skills Development Scotland, Job Centre training as well.
“In fact a lot of my staff who have been here for a long period of time have come through those opportunities as well.
“But I have said before, the Ironworks is going to leave a gap and I think that is why there has been such a reaction.
“It is still the biggest venue in the Highlands. It attracts people from not just Inverness but far outwith.
“We do postcode analysis on the majority of our shows and it’s really interesting to see how many people travel who aren’t just in an IV postcode.
“If you are used to consuming music in other major cities, and we are not just talking Scotland, it can be a reason why people choose to move here. And it’s important for a student population, they have to have a home as well.
“The Highlands have a wider attraction as well and I think what we found over the years was that with the introduction of flights, especially the Amsterdam flight, there is a huge number of Europeans who attend the venue and then go on to travel more widely.”
The team at the Ironworks have spent months looking for a new home but as yet, Ms Campbell said, have not been able to identify a perfect fit.
“The building is bricks and mortar at the end of the day and we were always looking to move on,” she said.
“But as yet there is no suitable venue. There is no suitable location and I think we know from the last 15 years what would work and what would be fit for purpose for the next generation of music lovers, maybe not even music but creative industry-lovers.”
Offering a glimmer of hope she said there had been offers of help, including from Highland Council, and that discussions were still ongoing.
n Emotional last gigs – pages 8 and 10.
