East Lothian Courier:
PLANS to construct an ‘igloo’ facility in Dunbar which would project films onto a 360-degree screen have moved a step forward – with a trial set to run in November.
The town’s Shore and Harbour Neighbourhood Group has been successful in a £10,000 grant application to Big Lottery Fund Investing in Ideas, which will pay for the installation of a temporary igloo for four days later this year.
The igloo will be installed on vacant ground on Lamer Street – the site of the former amusement arcade – where it is hoped a permanent facility could eventually be built, called Dunbar Coastlife Centre.
Pippa Swan, chair of the neighbourhood group, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the grant offer from the National Lottery.
“Our preliminary discussions with the community council, our local councillors, Dunbar Trades’ Association and others have all been positive but a real life test is what is needed to understand whether or not a development of this sort on the amusement arcade [site] will be a good thing for Dunbar. The grant will let us do this.”
Igloovision will now bring a 12.5-metre cinemax igloo to Dunbar from November 22 to 25.
There will be a full programme of short natural history films augmented by arts and music to ensure that the technology is tested to the maximum.
Pippa added: “Entry to the igloo shows will be free but all visitors to the trial site will be asked to complete a questionnaire designed by feasibility study director, Jenny Whyte of Phoenix Economics.
“The information gathered will be crucial to being able to properly understand what the viability of this project might be. We will be updating information regularly between now and the trial dates and will post this on our new website, www.ourlocality.org/dunbarcoastlifecentre ”
The igloo allows people to walk inside it with images and films projected around them, and can be used for a variety of purposes – from educational films to musical performances.
Previous estimates have suggested that a permanent igloo – which would be housed within a new building – could cost about £2 million to install.