Welcome to the Press Team Page

The Press Team at Inverclyde Academy have been working hard all year to produce good quality news for pupils, parents and the local community. Please feel free to have a look at our school newspaper.

The Beacon Centre
‘Wow.’ The single word that the people at the Beacon Centre have used to describe their new Arts Centre, is either an over-exaggeration or an understatement. So which one is it?
So far, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Prince Edward have visited the theatre. Although they haven’t seen the finished article, they passed positive comments and wished the construction well. According to the Beacon’s website:
“The Beacon will be a significant new addition to the Scottish theatre and arts scene and will become a venue of choice for touring productions as well as being a vibrant hub for the local community theatre groups within the area,”
Inverclyde Academy’s Principal Teacher for Social Subjects, Mr. Crosby was interviewed on his opinion of the new building compared to the old building it replaced. He said,
“There’s character to the architecture of the inside of the old building, but it was made from an old swimming pool that was converted, so it’s not quite as it should be, whereas the Beacon certainly looks more like you would expect a theatre to look.”
When asked “Will you be visiting it in the near future?” he replied,
“Most definitely… I know they’re doing Les Miserables very soon, so I might go along and see that.”
Many people in Greenock have views that the design of the Beacon’s exterior looks horrible from the main road into Greenock. It has often been publicly stated that it looks like crates stacked on top of each other.
When interviewed, Inverclyde Academy student Kirsty said she preferred the old building,
“I think [the old Greenock Arts Guild] was really good because it gave smaller companies a chance, so they could go somewhere local.”
When asked about the new building, she said,
“I think it’s obscene!” “If I’m honest, it’s a bit of an eyesore – I don’t think it’s nice, I think it’s too big, and in the way – It blocks the ocean view.”
“If I was going by the outside, I’d say the old one was better looking.”
In conclusion,
Although it has had good reports from many important figures, it still has mixed opinions from the Greenockians whom are the theatre’s target audience. Hopefully it will be a success – although we won’t know for a few years.
So to answer the question at the start, is the word ‘Wow’ an over-exaggeration or an understatement when it comes to the new Beacon Centre?
- It depends who you ask...!

By Cameron, Rhys and Steven

"http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/17352805