Hall For Cornwall (HFC) will be holding a celebration of Cornish talent in its final week before closing for redevelopment.
HFC will be shutting its doors to the public on June 2, before beginning a £20 million refurbishment programme which is expected to take two years to complete.
In the run-up to this, a week of special performances has been organised aimed at celebrating the talent of dancers, actors and musicians from across Cornwall.
“This is a key moment in the history of the Hall for Cornwall and it seemed only fitting to give the stage to two of our resident companies and our own Youth Theatre in our final week,” said chief executive and creative director, Julien Boast.
“We have achieved some amazing things since the building was first opened in 1997, and we will be building on this foundation and all the spirit and history of the last 20 years by providing more opportunities for young people and schools and promoting and supporting creative talent when we reopen”.
Following the final performance, contractors will begin work on transforming the interior of the Grade II listed building into a modern cutting edge venue with a 1,354 seat tiered auditorium, large enough to attract top West End productions; break out spaces for young people; an ERDF and LEP-funded creative business hub which will support Cornwall’s growing number of start-up digital, creative and technology companies; an internal ‘Ope’ providing a public walkway from the new entrance foyer at Boscawen Street through the building to Back Quay, and a number of new bars and cafés.
Although the building itself will be closed, members of the public will be able to follow the progress of the transformation via monthly ‘Keep In Touch‘ newsletters and regular updates posted on the HFC website and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels, including some live video footage as the build progresses.
The team will be also be arranging exclusive open days and hard hat tours of the works to enable people to come in and see how thing are going as well as taking a community roadshow to events and locations throughout Cornwall.
At the same time HFC will be working hard to raise the remaining funds needed to turn its vision into a reality and provide a venue that continues to INSPIRE, EDUCATE and be ENJOYED.
“Everyone has worked tirelessly over the past six years to raise the money needed to deliver this exciting project. Our venue has been loved to bits over the years, but we have literally worn it out,” added Boast.
“Thanks to support from our partners, HFC members and patrons, and generous donors, over £18 million has been secured for the project, the majority of which has come from outside Cornwall. We now need to raise the final amount so that we can achieve our ambition to provide the people of Cornwall with access to the best performing arts possible in a venue which rivals any in the country. It’s time to raise the curtain on our future.”
