My name is Daniel, I am an Oxfordshire based actor and I have been around theatres my entire life. I am incredibly disheartened to hear that this 89 year old building is going to be knocked down to make way for an Apartment-Hotel.

I understand that there will be a community space on the ground floor but I and many others have concerns that the company that is heading up this project (Marick Real Estate) are going to use it for their personal gain.

So I have created this petition to reach 100,000 people in Oxford and the surrounding areas asking them to sign to stop the current plan and to instead support the Odeon on George Street being converted to a theatre. Of course, it would be deep honour if people from across the UK and the World would also like to sign this petition in the recognition that we are all part of a wider community.

Another theatre in the centre of Oxford will bring more business to local vendors, restaurateurs and publicans. What is more, it would be much more useful as a base for the community than an "Aparthotel". New and established, local or from afar; playwrights, poets, comedians and artists alike would have another space to show their art.

The theatre that I envision would be a Proscenium Arch and would be a similar organisation to that of the Hackney Empire in London which is a strong base for it's community as the community helped fund it to be restored to theatre from a bingo hall.

Let us preserve the heritage of this building and together create a space that the community and the surrounding areas can be proud of and will visit for centuries to come.

Please share with friends and family.

Kind regards,

Daniel Ferrier