Portsmouth Guildhall to be used for university teaching

Portsmouth Guildhall has been closed since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown

A concert venue is to be used for teaching university students in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2,000-seat Portsmouth Guildhall will be used by the University of Portsmouth to allow face-to-face teaching until the end of the year.

The city centre venue, close to the university campus, has been closed since the beginning of the lockdown with staff furloughed.

The university said it was an "exciting and creative solution".

Under the contract, the university will use the main auditorium as well as 10 smaller rooms which would normally host concerts and conferences.

The rooms will be "repurposed" for teaching with Covid-secure measures such as one-way systems put in place.

The Guildhall Trust, which manages the venue, said the plan would offset some of the "significant losses" it was forecasting for the financial year.

Chief executive Andy Grays said: "We are delighted that an alternative use has been found in these unprecedented times."

The university's deputy vice-chancellor, Bernie Topham, said: "This is an exciting and creative solution to challenging circumstances, giving us extra space to host safe and engaging face-to-face teaching which we know is valued by our students."

The council-owned building, opened in 1890 and rebuilt after suffering bomb damage during World War Two, still houses the council chamber and civic meeting rooms.