Theatre and dance groups are furious that Falkirk Town Hall could close its doors for good on December 31 - while its replacement is still to be decided.
Members of Falkirk Arts Network said local groups had been "totally blindsided by the news" from Falkirk Council.
Both Big Bad Wolf Theatre Company and Falkirk Operatic Society already have shows booked in the town hall for next year and have already paid for costumes, sets and the rights to perform.
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Louise Harland, Big Bad Wolf's chairperson, said the decision would mean the popular children's theatre being forced to cancel their show planned for February.
Having just received an email to say councillors were due to vote on a potential closure next week she said their reaction was "panic."
Ms Harland said: "It will be devastating for the children's mental health, considering we're already into rehearsals and we've already spent money on licensing. We build our own sets and that work has already started."
Moving to another venue isn't an option, she told the local democracy reporting service. With 75 children on stage, there is no other venue in the Falkirk area big enough to accommodate them.
She said: "We can't use the schools because we need to leave a set up in situ for a full week and you can't do that in a school."
Falkirk Operatic Society - which will celebrate its 120th anniversary next year - also said they have already booked sets, costumes and paid for the rights to perform their show in April.
Treasurer Amy Sutherland said: "If this goes ahead, we could lose thousands. They should not have been taking bookings for well into next year.
"Falkirk Opera has been going since 1903 - but this could be the end of us."
A report being heard by Falkirk Council next week highlights it would cost £2.3 million to disentangle the FTH from the Municipal Buildings which are currently being demolished, and require the complete closure of FTH for at least a year in 2023.
Once reopen, a further £2-4 million would need to be spent to keep the building operational for the next 3-5 years. That investment, the council says, would not improve the building’s outdated performance and rehearsal spaces or resolve its poor energy efficiency.
But the chair of Falkirk Arts Network (FAN) Kathryn Grainger says that while they understand the need for a replacement town hall "the situation could have been handled better".
She said: "For FAN to only be made aware of the report the week before a decision is due to be made does not give its members adequate time to take on board the implications of this and give a fully informed response.
"So now we find ourselves in the unacceptable position of potentially having no Town Hall and no suitable replacement available.
"There may well be venues within the district which would suit smaller groups, but the likes of Falkirk Operatic Society, Project Theatre, Tryst Orchestra and various dance groups need a large venue for concerts and performances. School halls may be adequate but can be prohibitively expensive, even allowing for the proposed extra funding.
"There are groups who have already booked the Town Hall for next year and are busy rehearsing for and planning shows. Many of these groups have worked extremely hard in the last couple of years to get back on track after the pandemic. To lose such groups now, as a result of poor decision-making and previous lack of cooperation by councillors would be devastating.
"We note that the report states that the council 'will continue to work closely with Falkirk Arts Network to ensure we understand groups' needs and work hard to find suitable spaces for them to perform in.
"It's a pity then that we seem to have been kept out of the loop regarding this latest report and recommendation. Let's hope this is rectified with immediate effect. The way in which the whole thing has been handled is frankly insulting to those local groups which have brought audiences - and therefore money - to the Town Hall for decades."
When the news broke, local groups contacted the Local Democracy Reporting Service to say how angry they are. We asked if anyone would be available for a photograph the following day - more than 200 people turned up to make their feelings known.
They included members of Sunny Stars Drama, Big Bad Wolf, Falkirk Bohemians, Falkirk Opera, Stenhouse School of Dance, McKechnie School of Dance, Project Theatre, Caledonia Choir and Falkirk Tryst Orchestra.
Professional singing star Barbara Bryceland, who regularly performs at FTH, was also there to lend her voice to the campaign.
Jennifer Marjoribanks, principal of Sunny Stars Drama, said the turnout at such short notice showed the strength of feeling.
She said: "The consultation on closing FTH by the end of this year has been rushed and local groups have been blindsided by this news.
"We would absolutely welcome a new purpose-built venue, as well as the proposed investment in the arts locally, however to get rid of the town hall before a replacement is built is a travesty."
A Falkirk Council spokesperson added: “It is acknowledged that the ideal approach would have been to have a new FTH ready before the existing one closed. Unfortunately, as was previously highlighted there was always the potential that the ongoing demolition works at the Municipal Buildings site and further surveys in 2022 would identify new issues at the FTH that undermined its ongoing operation. The fact a full closure for one year would be required as well as significant investment works means keeping the FTH open does not represent value for money.
“The proposal coming to council this month would allow the organisation to finally progress towards the development of an exciting new FTH in the High Street area which will help with regeneration of Falkirk, and provide a high-quality venue for performing arts for years to come. If agreed then our Arts and Heritage service would do all it could to help local groups to transition to the alternative venues available.”
