THE CAMPAIGN to turn Reading Gaol into an arts hub has gained international attention from the US.
Last month, Matt Rodda, MP for Reading East was interviewed by New York Times journalist, Stephen Castle.
The London correspondent visited the gaol site with the MP to discuss its significance as an arts venue in the future.
His particular interest was with one of the jail’s most well-known prisoners — Oscar Wilde.
“He was such a well known literary and social figure,” Mr Castle said. “He had a lot of social importance, as his personal story says something about the attitudes to homosexuality at the time.
“He had a transition from triumph to tragedy. [Wilde] was successful, and then brought down. After his release, he became an immortalised gem.”
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Mr Castle said the site proved interesting from an LGBT+ perspective.
In his article, Cllr Karen Rowland, lead member for heritage at Reading Borough Council said the gaol is a cultural asset for LGBT+ history.
Having previously lived next to Stonewall, the New York city bar deemed the starting place for the gay rights movement, Cllr Rowland said she knows the value and importance of LGBT+ national heritage sites.
“It’s got tremendous potential,” she told Mr Castle.
Mr Rodda said it was a really exciting development for the campaign, and demonstrated the international interest in the prison’s heritage.
“New York is one of the major centres for arts and theatre in the world,” he said. “It shows there is a level of interest here.”
Mr Rodda said he was particularly excited about the prospect of the gaol becoming a tourist destination for foreign travellers.
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“It’s so accessible, near to London, Windsor and Oxford,” he said. “We have a large number of US visitors each year, and this would be an obvious addition to any tourist route.”
The MP is also hoping to attract investors from across the pond, who could help spur on the campaign to establish an arts hub at the site.
“It could have an interest for [American] tourists,” Mr Castle said. “I’m sure if you had some cultural events there, it might make it an attractive venue.”
Mr Castle said the reason for reporting Reading Gaol in the New York Times, was to give a broader picture of life in Britain.
“We try to get out of London and cover some stories that illuminate life outside the capital,” he said. “Stories that give a broader sense of what’s going on in the country.”
The New York Times first published an article about Reading Gaol in April 1924, titled Oscar Wilde’s prison soon to be torn down.
It reported: “The prison in which the poet spent two years of misery is about to be torn down. The onward march of commerce and industry has doubled Reading’s population in recent years, and the famous old jail is making way for new flat buildings.”
This is still being considered.
