THE curtain has fallen on evening shows at the Tower Arts Centre in Winchester after council cash ran dry.

Hampshire County and Winchester City Councils put £50,000 into the venue each year to keep the schedule going.

They offered a three-year deal, which ran out last month (April), and now there is no money left.

The venue will stay open during the day and is home to several arts and community groups, including Blue Apple Theatre.

Kings’ School, which is next to the venue in Romsey Road, has run it since 2008, when the county council decided to cut the funding.

Having provided £100,000 each year, the authority slashed it to £25,000, and the city council agreed to match the new figure.

The result was a three-year stay of execution for evening shows at the venue, which has hosted the likes of Eddie Izzard and Omid Djalili.

Hundreds of residents opposed the county council cuts in 2008, fearing it would lead to the demise of evening shows.

One of the leading objectors was Lynda Banister, who last year became city councillor for Oliver’s Battery and Badger Farm.

She said: “The three years are now up and there’s no more funding for the Tower.

“It cannot afford an evening programme by itself and I’m afraid to say it’s pretty much what we predicted would happen.”

Alistair Marsden, another of the leading campaigners, said: “Creative arts make up 15 per cent of the South East economy and are one of the fastest growing sectors.

“Winchester is well placed to harness this with two universities with strong artistic credentials. The Tower as a community arts centre is an incubator of the creative arts, so it would be a great shame if this was lost. Until recently the venue was managed by Ben Ward, who has moved back to another of Winchester’s live music venues, The Railway Inn.

He said: “I feel terribly sad about the Tower and it was a privilege to be there with so many amazing shows.”

He added: “Artists still want to come to our town and many of them are now coming to the Railway instead as there’s no arts centre where they can go.”

The arts centre is now run by Kings’ School admin manager Anne Manning, who confirmed that council cash had run out.

She added that daytime bookings were still doing well, including art classes six-days-a week and children’s drama on Saturdays.

The venue dates back to 1898 and was originally built as a water tower and reservoir, which shut in 1955.

The county council bought it a decade later as a performance space and it opened to the public in 1969.

Cllr Keith Chapman, county executive member for culture and recreation, said: “When we handed over the management of the Tower Arts Centre to Kings’ School, it was on the understanding that we would provide, in partnership with Winchester City Council, three years transitional funding so that they could develop and establish their events programme alongside those of Winchester Discovery Centre, Winchester City Council and other local events providers.

“The three year funding agreement to the Tower has now expired. In the meantime, a vibrant an exciting arts scene has further developed across the city."

A city council spokeswoman confirmed that its grant stopped when the county withdrew its cash last month.