Equity is warning that the Square Chapel Arts Centre in Halifax is in danger of failing again unless there is a clear commitment to public investment and local involvement in the decision-making process. The warning comes ahead of the AGM of the local Save Square Chapel Campaign Group on Thursday 24 September, with Arts Council England invited to attend.
The Grade II listed building, which was a venue for a range of music, comedy, theatrical and other performances until it’s closure in February 2025, has been put up for sale by the Receiver appointed by Arts Council England (ACE). In July, ACE announced they were “placing the building in the custody of the Official Receiver… with a view to returning the building back to community cultural use.” However, there is a concern that the building may not be saved as an arts venue.
With the sale of Square Chapel moving at speed, it is vital that there is a clear commitment to public investment from the Arts Council, Calderdale Council, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to ensure that this iteration of Square Chapel can succeed.
Dominic Bascombe, Equity official for North East, Yorkshire and Humber
In August, a for sale notice was publicised but it remains unclear how much support a new operator would receive in public investment from Arts Council England or local bodies such as Calderdale Council or the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Equity is calling for a firm commitment on funding to be made, and for the local community to be involved in selecting a new operator.
Dominic Bascombe, Equity official for North East, Yorkshire and Humber said: “With the sale of Square Chapel moving at speed, it is vital that there is a clear commitment to public investment from the Arts Council, Calderdale Council, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to ensure that this iteration of Square Chapel can succeed.
"We know how much this venue is loved by the local community, as evidenced by the continued support that has been shown. The local community should have a say in the selection of a new owner and operator alongside them being given the funding they need to succeed.”
Pete Keal of the Save Square Chapel Campaign group said: "Arts Council England's commitment so far does not guarantee that Square Chapel will reopen as an arts centre. To succeed, a new operator will need support from the community, and we therefore call for the people of Halifax and the wider area to be fully consulted over who should take over the running of the centre.
“We cannot afford a repeat of the disastrous record of the last owners. While a new operator should have a robust business plan, Square Chapel Arts Centre will need adequate public investment to thrive in the future.”
The sale of Square Chapel comes on the back of over a year of campaigning by Equity and local activists for the building to be brought back to use by the community. In February 2026, campaigners held a lantern procession through the streets of Halifax. In November 2025, an Equity petition garnered over 3,000 signatures.
The Square Chapel Arts Centre has been closed to the public since February 2025. The venue has been used as green rooms for the Piece Hall's Summer Concert series since then but has not been open to the public.
In July 2026, Arts Council England announced that they were taking control of the Square Chapel building, paving the way for its future reopening. An Arts Council spokesperson said at the time: “The Arts Council has been working alongside local partners to try and secure the Square Chapel building as a space for cultural and community purposes. Square Chapel CIC was recently issued a winding-up order by HMRC, placing the building in the custody of the Official Receiver. We have now instructed our own Receiver to determine the next steps relating to the charge that the Arts Council has on the Square Chapel building, with a view to returning the building back to community cultural use.”
Equity – along with the Save Square Chapel Campaign, TUC North East, Yorkshire & Humber Creative and Leisure Industries Committee and Calderdale Trades Union Council – has been calling for the venue to be reopened. A public meeting on the topic last year was attended by more than a hundred people.
It is understood that a number of local arts organisations have expressed an interest in taking over the running of the venue.
