As we say goodbye to 2022, we’re looking back on the past year with a warm fuzzy feeling in our chest. And what a year it’s been! We’ve had visits from superstars, workshops bursting at the seams with creativity, and a jam (first!) packed line-up of shows! In 2022, there has been over 250,000 visitors to our newly renovated theatre, which has welcomed everything from West End Musicals to exhibitions from local artists, and international treasures including Dionne Warwick, Richard E Grant and Gary Barlow.

Let’s take a look back on some of our best bits from 2022…

2022 Began with a Visit from the Stars…

Private Lives staring Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge was a hit at the Box Office! This charming Noel Coward classic delighted packed-out audiences in the new Cornwall Playhouse.

                    Photo Credit: Tristram Kenton

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We Delivered News of a New Sponsor

DHL joined us as our sponsors for 2022 and their support has enabled us to engage with more young people and reach wider with our message of arts and culture for all.

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

They even featured in our Christmas Show Treasure Island!

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A Brontë Classic Blew in from the Moors…

In March, we welcomed Wise Children’s Wuthering Heights, based on the novel by Emily Brontë and adapted and directed by Emma Rice. This visually stunning production was supported by National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, York Theatre Royal Production and funded by the National Lottery.

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

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Classical Favourites Came To Cornwall…

This year, we hosted a programme of enchanting orchestras and musicians from the classical world.

In May, we were proud to welcome the world’s biggest classical music festival BBC Proms to the Cornwall Playhouse for the very first time! This was a groundbreaking moment for our theatre, and for the Duchy, as we brought the home of classical music to Cornwall.

Later in the year, we also welcomed Cornish star Graham Fitkin to our stage with The Fairly Relentless Piano Quartet. Alongside Clare Hammond, Kathryn Stott, and his wife, Ruth Wall, this performance was a hit!

We also hosted the launch of Fitkin’s new app, Geography, an interactive musical map of Truro developed in association with Hall for Cornwall as part of our History and Heritage programme.

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A Warm Welcome at the Royal Cornwall Show!

In June, we headed to North Cornwall for three days at Royal Cornwall Show. We gave VR tours of the theatre to over 400 people, spoke to thousands of you about our new theatre and even had a visit from some VIPs including the Culture Secretary!

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The Launch of Husa…

In July, we welcomed the launch of our new creative industries venture combining co-working space with an artist development programme. It’s one of the ways we’re nurturing Cornish performance artists and creative industries.

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

Husa, which means ‘to enchant and dream’ in Cornish, offers a range of offices and hotdesking space within the building and just a few footsteps from the new Cornwall Playhouse. The project has been funded by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Government’s Local Growth Fund and The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Our tenants include international theatre company Wildworks; Creative UK, the independent network for the UK’s creative industries; educational charity Black Voices Cornwall, and Cornwall Pride, which supports and celebrates Cornwall’s LGBTQ+ community.

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Fun at Edinburgh Fringe…

We had so much fun at Edinburgh Fringe festival in September seeing our friends and associate artists ‘Owdyado Theatre! They absolutely smashed it at the Fringe with their delightfully twisted show Twisted Tales at The Pleasance.

We’ve had a fantastic time with our friends from Theatre Royal Plymouth this year, and celebrated with Pasties At The Pleasance, showcasing the work made by artists from Devon and Cornwall and their successes this year!

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We Won An Award!

We were bowled over when Gorsedh Kernow awarded Hall for Cornwall’s Youth Companies a Glenda Hartland Award for ‘Miracles and Mysteries’, a project that we performed last year inspired by the Ordinalia.

Receiving this award is a huge honour for us, and a nod to the fantastic work that the Get Creative team have been doing, sparking curiosity and developing skills for the next generation of theatre makers in Cornwall. Thank you to all the fabulous freelancers who made this work happen!

Our Deputy Creative Director, Helen Tiplady, was delighted to attend the award ceremony. She said: ‘This award is for all the directors, choreographers and assistant artists who worked on this project. There were 26 of us in total and I’m so proud of the work we all achieved with over 250 young people. Thank you!’

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Ope Way Grand Opening

In September, we opened our brand new Ope Way, fondly named after the tiny opening between tightly-packed buildings often found in Cornish fishing and mining communities. The Ope connects our Green Room Cafe on Lemon Quay with our Playhouse Bar on Boscawen St.

Pictured: Councillor Linda Taylor and Taryn Nixon of The Heritage Fund / Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

Visitors walk our heritage route through the theatre, encountering behind-the-scenes views of rehearsals or technical sessions, led by QR-enabled brass storypoints which tell the story of City Hall, the historic building which houses Hall for Cornwall. The Ope Way is open to all, without charge, and open most days 11am-4pm.

We’ve had lots of visitors to our Ope this year, during which they’ve delighted at our theatre and enjoyed a friendly chat with our volunteer ushers. Of course The Ope Way won’t always be open – some theatre secrets are best kept until showtime!

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Gary Barlow Fever…

Did you join in with Barlowmania? We were overrun with devoted fans eager to catch a glimpse of this much-loved superstar!

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

Crowds of you gathered on Lemon Quay waiting for his arrival, and some of you even managed to grab a photo of him leaving after the show! The atmosphere throughout this week was electric in our theatre and around Truro. It begs the question… who will be the ‘Barlow’ of 2023?

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The West-End Comes to Cornwall!

We played host to show-stopping productions from the West End and beyond, including…

We Will Rock You, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, SIX and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo!

  

Photo Credit – SIX: Pamela Raith Photography / Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: Zoran Jelenic

If you’re searching for a West-End fix next year, take a look at our programme for 2023, with smash hits MAMMA MIA!, The Rocky Horror Show and the RSC’s Julius Caesar, plus many more…

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One Year Since We Re-Opened…

In October, we celebrated one year since we re-opened our doors following our huge transformation!

The grand opening was marked with the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical, which proved to be a monumental evening was made even more special by the appearance of our president Sir Tim Rice and Cornwall Council Leader Linda Taylor.

Take a look at this press invite to our grand opening!

Since then, we’ve played host to magnificent musicals, nail biting dramas, and laugh-out-loud comedy. And to top it all off, Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical returns to us in 2023 with a brand-new take on the original show!

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We Opened the UK Tour of Two Spectacular New Shows!

Later in October, we welcomed the sensational South African Road Trip after a long journey from Cape Town, with heartwarming tales of their lives, told through music.

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

In November, we opened the UK tour of White Christmas. This star-studded show came to Hall for Cornwall with all the shimmer and sparkle of Hollywood! Thank you for bringing us plenty of joy and festivity just in time for Christmas…

  

                    Photo Credit: Jono Symonds

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Festive Friday!

What a blast we had at Festive Friday, Truro’s annual Christmas light switch on!

We spent the evening on a pop-up stage on Boscowan Street, where our Youth Theatre and Dance Companies took to the stage, followed by an appearance by Kernow’s loveable Edward Rowe and the cast of Treasure Island!

  

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

Congratulations to Truro BID and all who made this special event happen.

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When Our Pirates Met Some Real Pirates…

As the opening night of Treasure Island swiftly approached, we sailed to the Mennaye Field in Penzance to wave on the mighty Cornish Pirates and spread some Treasure Island joy.

While Kernow King and his merry band roused the crowd, the Pirates took care of the rest, beating Ampthill 27-18! Congratulations to the team, and thank you for having us.

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

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Get Creative’s Best Bits!

This year, we were proud to be a part of a whole host of performances, exhibitions and workshops that provided a meeting place for creative souls in our local community. We’re overjoyed to have seen so many stunning showcases from our All Boys Dance, Musical Mondays, Youth Theatre and Youth Dance groups, s well as a spectacular performance from one of our associate artists.

Let’s take a look back at our favourite memories from this year…

Our six Youth Dance companies joined together at Falmouth University’s AMATA to perform their end-of-term sharing for their loved ones – some of whom have never performed in front of an audience before!

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings.

This photo from a performance by Youth Dance and All Boys Dance shows participants aged between 4 to 17 taking to the stage, delighting family and friends with their captivating performance.

We’re incredibly proud of our dancers and how hard they’ve worked in 2023. Our Get Creative team run 12 youth companies for Hall for Cornwall, and with no auditions, we’re open to all. Whichever group you choose, we celebrate the power of the arts in our young people from 4-18, nurturing talent and having a great time while we’re at it!

Associate Artists and Creative Friends…

Get Creative also support a network of Associate Artists at various points in their careers by offering funding and advice.

In November, Cornwall Playhouse Productions presented the world premiere of Carleen Anderson‘s landmark work MELIOR Opus Griot in the Cornwall Playhouse.

Her pioneering show blended musical influences from her childhood and later life, with visual elements that told the story of her lifelong connection to the ocean. As one of our associate artists and Cultural Ambassador for Hall for Cornwall, she brought together world class musicians with young Cornish performers in this unmissable futuristic opera.

Hair and make-up students from Cornwall College St Austell styled the 40 strong performance team to create underwater hairstyles and mermaid make up, adding to the sense of occasion and theatricality for the performers.

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

Featuring dancers from our Youth Group and emerging artists alike, the piece took an inclusive approach. A community choir built from students, early career singers and retired performers sung alongside international stars China Moses and Terri Walker, as well as the staggering vocal range of Carleen herself, who took time and care to offer each singer tips and tuition through rehearsals.

HFC youth dance companies (including all of our younger performers with other needs ranging from autism, Down Syndrome and hearing loss) were supported to take part. Our group choreographers took to the stage with the youngsters to give them a little extra confidence as they performed mastered movements and sequences with a helping hand to guide.

Emergent Ensemble

We were also proud to see the completion of our friends Prodigal UPG’s creative work On the Strandline, performed by the Emergent Ensemble – a group of five early career performers brought together in the time of Covid to survive the industry lockdown.

Royal Shakespeare Connections

In an exciting collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Nation’s Comedy of Errors came to our stage in April.

                    Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

Our Get Creative team also delivered a series of workshops as part of RSC’s 37 Plays. In collaboration with their Associate Regional Theatres (of which the Hall for Cornwall is one), 37 Plays is a call to get the nation writing in order to create an ambitious volume of contemporary dramatic works which respond to the world in which we live, and will continue next year!

We also partnered with local teachers and schools to provide a series of RSC workshops , learning the craft of Shakespeare, and all the tools needed to perform his timeless work.

Find out more about Shakespeare Nation’s upcoming events and how you can get involved here!

Celebrating Local Artists

In November, we were proud to welcome the Can You See Me Exhibition to our Playhouse Bar. Exploring beautiful stories and pertinent issues impacting the Duchy, this heauntingly beautiful exhibition showcased work from local artists across a range of media, including documentary film, portrait photography, choreography, and visual art.

Led by Melanie Young, the Can You See Me creative team offers a platform for creative curiosity in Cornwall, while exploring a range of voices in the local community.

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Our Christmas Show Brought Joy And Cornish Pride! Success!

We brought the year to a close with some festive fun. Treasure Island’s piratical production, brought to you by Cornwall Playhouse Productions and Steve Marmion, was a hit with critics and audiences of all ages!

                   Photo Credit: Hugh Hastings

We had coconuts, monkeys, Dua Lipa… Cornish slang, plenty of ‘He’s Behind You!’ and Edward Rowe as Long John Silver (boo!) After months of hard work and dedication from our talented cast, crew, Choreographer Melody Sinclair and Musical Director Richard Healey, plus set designers, costume designers, tech teams and many more, we were delighted to see so many smiling faces leave the auditorium throughout December.

When the reviews started rolling in, we were overcome with pride, as we were hailed ‘a masterpiece!’ and Cornwall Live said it would make audiences ‘proud to live in Cornwall’.

And we can’t wait to do it all again next year with Peter Pan!

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As We Gear Up For 2023…

We would like to extend a warm and heartfelt thank you and a Happy New Year to our loyal members, trustees, sponsors, donors, funders, and every audience member who has supported us this year. We had 295 shows in 2022, and there’s plenty more to come next year!

Whether you’re a fan of nail-biting drama, a Shakespeare connoisseur, or your life is moved by music, we’re gearing up for our biggest year yet in 2023!

Our Green Room Café has had a Christmas makeover!

From winter-warming drinks to sweet treats and nachos, we have something for everyone to get them in the festive spirit.

Tantalise your taste buds with festive drinks…

Our new flavours include: Cookies & Cream Hot Chocolate, Cherry Bakewell Hot Chocolate, Banoffee Hot Chocolate, Mint Hot Chocolate, White Hot Chocolate, Black Forest Hot Chocolate, Tiramisu Mocha, Butterscotch Latte, Maple Spice Latte, Cinnamon Spice Latte.

If you’re feeling peckish…

Our tasty homemade sandwiches and toasties are available daily.

And especially for Late Night Shopping…

Try our new vegetarian and vegan loaded nachos, with avocado, salsa, sour cream and jalapenos.

It’s Christmastime, come along and treat yourself ?

Café Opening times:

11am – 4pm daily, with later opening hours on Wednesdays in December (late night shopping) and before a show starts, so you can start your evening with a mouth-watering treat.

10th May 1956: Schoolchildren wave their flags and cheer as Queen Elizabeth II visits the Cornish capital, Truro. (Photo by Bellisario/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Her majesty visiting Truro in 1956.

Thank you Queen Elizabeth II for your tireless service to our nation over 70 years. As we mourn your loss, we send condolences to the King, to our Royal Patron HRH Prince Edward, The Earl Of Wessex, and to the Royal Family in this time of grief. The Queen was a devoted supporter of arts and culture and a champion of so many generations of British artists and performers – for your unstinting passion and support for our sector, thank you Ma’am.

With the announcement of the State Funeral, the Hall for Cornwall will be closed on on Mon 19 Sep. We have rescheduled the performance of Rob Lamberti to Wed 02 Nov. If you have a ticket for this performance, we’ve sent you an email to explain how these changes affect you.

We will be open as usual in the days leading up to the funeral and reopen on the morning of Tue 20 Sep.

At present, we are continuing with all other scheduled performances and will notify ticket holders of any changes.

Image: Jacob King/PA Wire/PA images

AUGUST EXTRAS…

Over the next two weeks we have several extraordinary events to whet your appetite.

SAT 27 AUG

7pm – 11pm in Playhouse Bar

Make a date to stay late and continue the party
after Truro Pride.

Tickets: £10

On Sat 27 Aug we welcome Pride Cornwall to Truro, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride UK!

From 12.30pm to 8pm join in the Community Pride event on the Quay, bursting with live music and great conversation. Our Green Room Café will be open from 11am to 9pm.

Hall for All – Make a date to stay late and continue the party in Playhouse Bar (Boscawen Street entrance), where we will be ramping up the glitz and glamour with DJ funky vibes and cool cocktails. From 7pm – 11pm.

BOOK NOW 

SUN 28 AUG

3pm – 7pm in Playhouse Bar

Join us for a traditional Cornish Tea Dance.

Tickets: £20

What to expect: a dedicated dance class from 3pm – 4pm (optional) with a qualified dance teacher. We will be serving a traditional Cornish cream tea from 4pm with locally made, freshly baked scones from Manor Made, Rodda’s clotted cream, Boddington’s strawberry jam and pots of refreshing Cornish Tea.

Put on your dancing shoes from 4.30pm until 7pm with the band Swingology. Why not make an evening of it with the bar open until late, serving cocktails and wine from their new drinks list.

BOOK NOW 

WED 31 AUG

7pm – 10pm in Playhouse Bar

A music and wine tasting event– a crossing of the arts that you can taste and savour.

Tickets: £35

Join Elly Owen (2020 Best Sommelier in UK) and Richard Healey (renowned music director and composer) for a curated evening of wine and music.

Does the music you are listening to affect the taste of wine? We take you on a sensory journey through wine and music, leading you on a tasting like no other. See how music takes your taste buds to places you wouldn’t believe.

This exclusive and original event has only limited availability of 30 places. Book now to avoid disappointment.

BOOK NOW 

Every FRI and SAT
4pm-9pm

Philleigh Way on the Quay!

From today, join our friends at Philleigh Way on the Quay for delicious food cooked over coals, served with refreshing drinks from the Green Room Café.

This tasty pop-up will be here every Fri and Sat night 4pm – 9pm, right through to the beginning of October. The perfect pit-stop pre-theatre or a great place to stop and meet up with friends after work or before a night out.

FRI and SAT until 28 AUG
5pm – 11pm
Playhouse Bar open for late-night sipping.

Make the most of these last summer, August days and meet up with friends at the theatre’s Playhouse Bar. Open Fri and Sat evenings (ticketed event on 27 Aug), until 28 Aug from 5pm – 11pm.

From Thu 1 Sep, our new Cocktail & Wine bar menu will continue to be exclusively available for late-night sipping from 9.30pm until 11pm for post-show drinks. Find us in the bar, draw up a stool and join in the fun and glamour of theatre life.

The Green Room Café is open Mon – Sat from 11am – 4pm. From week commencing the 29 of Aug, opening times will remain the same Mon – Wed, but Thu, Fri & Sat, our opening times will be based on show times.

Whether you are meeting up with friends or family for coffee and cake, a refreshing drink, ice cream or lunch on the go, we’ve got it covered.

 

Beyond Face working with schools and artists in Cornwall.

Beyond Face are a theatre company providing opportunities for artists of the Global Majority to live, thrive and make work in the South West theatre sector.

We recently worked with the company to share their new production Sitting in the Grey with young people at Bodmin College. Written & Directed by Artistic Director Alix Harris, the play follows a teenager named Ashlee as they attend their first protest for Climate Justice. Sitting in the Grey focuses on the importance of listening and active conversation amongst young people and adults, especially as we all try to navigate life’s in-betweens and uncertainties.

We are supporting Beyond Face in We Are Here to Create, hosting a workshop at Hall for Cornwall on 25 Feb for Global Majority people who are interested in making theatre. If you are of the Global Majority and would like more information click here.

In March we are partnering with IntoBodmin to present We Are Here to Share, a scratch night of work created by Global Majority artists and curated by Beyond Face at The Old Library in Bodmin. If you’d like to join us to support this work in the early stages of development you can book a space here.

THE WORLD PREMIERE NEW MUSICAL SETS SAIL 13 OCTOBER

The cast for the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical at the Hall for Cornwall next month has been announced, including Cornwall’s own Edward Rowe, star of the BAFTA-winning film, Bait and Hall for Cornwall’s smash-hit Christmas Shows Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Calum Callaghan (Mr Selfridge) plays Danny, a fish-out-of-water music manager who stumbles across a group of shanty singing fishermen in Port Isaac, Cornwall.  The leader of the band, Jim, played by Deka Walmsley (Billy Elliot, Macbeth), takes some convincing to sign up his friends and family to the world of music recording.

He is joined by his fellow fishermen: Jago played by Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey) who is originally from St Austell, Leadville played by Mensah Bediako (Master Harold and the Boys), Rowan played by Dan Buckley (The Book of Mormon), Dinger played by Rakesh Boury (Rock of Ages), Wiggie played by Matt Slack (Blood Brothers) and Archie played by Hadrian Delacey (The Phantom of the Opera).

The band is completed by Cornish actor Edward Rowe, known for his comedy character Kernow King and as the star of Mark Jenkin’s BAFTA-winning film Bait. Edward has a starring role in Jenkin’s Bait follow-up Enys Men and has written and performed his own shows including Hireth, Trevithick and The Cornish Caretakers.

Star of stage and screen Susie Blake (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bev Unwin in Coronation Street, Nativity 3, Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack’d, Mrs Fisher in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em) joins the company as pub landlady Maggie, alongside Parisa Shahmir (The Last Ship) as Alwyn, Deborah Tracey (Standing At The Sky’s Edge and Hall for Cornwall’s 2017 Christmas show, Sleeping Beauty) as record label manager Leah and Georgia Bruce (Malory Towers) as Sally.

The cast is completed by on-stage actor-musicians, James William-Pattison (Once), Annie Grace (Sting’s The Last Ship), John O’Mahony (This Restless House), Louisa Beadel (Fame) and musicians Hazel Askew (BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee), Alfie Gidley (New Roots finalist) and Musical Director James Findlay (winner of the BBC Young Folk Award 2010).

Julien Boast, CEO and Creative Director at Hall for Cornwall said: “We’re excited to be welcoming such a talented cast of actors, including home-grown talent from Cornwall, to raise the curtain on this world premiere, the first show in our inaugural season and the first co-production of our in-house production company, Cornwall Playhouse Productions.”

Edward Rowe said: “I am absolutely delighted to be in Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical. It has so much heart and joy and I couldn’t think of a more perfect show to open the new Hall for Cornwall”.

Performances will run from Wednesday 13 October to Saturday 30 October 2021 and this will be Hall for Cornwall’s first major production to take to the stage following a three-year, multi-million pound transformation of the venue in the centre of Truro.

Tickets are available from £15.00 online here or via the box office: 01872 262466.

Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical is produced by ROYO, Flying Fish Productions, Mighty Village, with Island Records, David Mirvish and Cornwall Playhouse Productions.

More than £100 million has been awarded to 925 cultural organisations across the country including Hall for Cornwall in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today (19th November).

Hall for Cornwall has been awarded a grant of £85,000 to cover bringing on new staff and other running costs as it prepares to fully reopen the new building in December.

The Hall has undergone a multi-million pound rebuild over the last three years and reopened with a sell-out premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical in October. It is currently closed through November while the finishing touches are put to the venue and will reopen fully in December for the start of its Christmas Show, Cinderella.

The third round of the Culture Recovery Fund will support organisations from all corners of the sector as they deal with ongoing reopening challenges, ensuring they can thrive in better times ahead.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Culture is for everyone and should therefore be accessible to everyone, no matter who they are and where they’re from.

“Through unprecedented government financial support, the Culture Recovery Fund is supporting arts and cultural organisations so they can continue to bring culture to communities the length and breadth of the country, supporting jobs, boosting local economies and inspiring people.”

Hall for Cornwall Co-Chair, Chris Pomfret, said: “The Culture Recovery Fund has been a lifeline through the pandemic for so many cultural organisations and we’re very grateful for this award which will help us as we prepare to fully reopen our building.

“Although we staged the hugely successful production of Fisherman’s Friends The Musical just a few weeks ago, we have been closed throughout November to complete and finish all areas of our magnificent theatre.

“This award will help us offset some of our costs while we remain closed in November. We look forward to welcoming audiences back for Cinderella in December, which is the second show after Fisherman’s Friends that has been co-produced by our in-house Cornwall Playhouse productions team.”

Truro and Falmouth MP, Cherilyn Mackrory, said: “Hall for Cornwall has undergone an amazing transformation and is a huge boost to Cornwall’s cultural offer at a time when we are bidding for City of Culture 2025 status. This award from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund will see the theatre through November ready for its Christmas show when it will welcomes audiences from across Cornwall for some much-anticipated festive fun.”

Over £1.2 billion has already been awarded from the unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, supporting around 5000 individual organisations and sites across the country ranging from local museums to West End theatres, grassroots music venues to festivals, and organisations in the cultural and heritage supply-chains.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said: “This continued investment from the Government on an unprecedented scale means our theatres, galleries, music venues, museums and arts centres can carry on playing their part in bringing visitors back to our high streets, helping to drive economic growth, boosting community pride and promoting good health. It’s a massive vote of confidence in the role our cultural organisations play in helping us all to lead happier lives”.

Thanks to Arts Council England and the government's Culture Recovery Fund, we can continue to be here for Culture, here for Heritage & here for Cornwall.

We are delighted to have heard today that we have been awarded £100,000 from the latest round of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund as we plan for our reopening later this year.

More than £300 million has been awarded to some 2,700 cultural organisations across the country in the second round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

As we continue with our transformation project, we are truly grateful for this award which will be used to re-engage with audiences across Cornwall and for stage programme and technical preparations as we plan and look forward to our reopening later this year.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to reopening and recovery as they transition back to normal in the months ahead. 

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced. Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead."

Julien Boast, Hall for Cornwall’s Chief Executive and Creative Director, said: “Like thousands of venues across the country we can’t wait to reopen and in our case it will be the first opportunity for people to see the amazing transformation we have undergone over the last three years. This money will help us reconnect with audiences across Cornwall and prepare for our exciting inaugural season later this year. We are grateful to the Cultural Recovery Find and Arts Council England for their continued and invaluable support.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said: “Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic.

“These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.  We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. 

The pandemic has hilighted how much community matters and our new home will be a beacon for the county, playing a vital role in Cornwall's economic recovery. Our reimagined theatre will provide welcome spaces for schools and community groups and new backstage facilities will widen access, helping us to provide many more creative opportunities for young people and schools.

We're passionate about throwing open our doors and welcoming you all back to a new theatre which has people, passion and possibility at its heart.

We are truly grateful to the partnership working of all our funders on this project which is being supported by Arts Council England, Cornwall Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, HM Treasury, the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, the European Regional Development Fund and an army of passionate and committed supporters.

We are pleased to share with you today on this St Piran’s Day, the national day of Cornwall, that our new auditorium will be named Cornwall Playhouse  or Gwariji Kernow in Cornish.

We are excited to announce Cornwall Playhouse as the new name for our magnificently transformed auditorium on this special day which celebrates Cornwall’s rich cultural tradition and heritage, and which has people, passion and possibility at its heart.

While Hall for Cornwall remains the name of our venue and the mark of quality and experience in all that we do, whether you’re visiting our theatre, being supported as an artist or participating in one of our youth workshops, Cornwall Playhouse will be home to our new stage programme where our motto will always be ‘Seriously Entertaining‘.

The auditorium was was officially christened by Cornwall Council Leader Julian German during a socially distanced naming ceremony at the theatre a few weeks ago. Also in attendance was the Grand Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Elizabeth Carne, Melennek, joining us to celebrate of the theatre’s importance as a place for promoting Cornish heritage and culture. Do take a look at the short film we made to commemorate the event.

Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council commented: “Over the last five years, Cornwall Council is proud to have unlocked £93 million to invest in growing and strengthening Cornwall’s cultural sector. The Hall for Cornwall redevelopment is a cornerstone of that activity which will truly enrich Cornwall’s cultural life and creative economy.

“This redevelopment will reawaken the beauty and history of City Hall, opening up the building and welcoming people and creative potential from across Cornwall. I am delighted that Cornwall Council has been able to support the redevelopment.”

The new auditorium, Cornwall Playhouse, will have better sightlines, acoustics and 300 more seats, giving capacity to attract high quality performances. Improved café, bar and public spaces will make the venue more welcoming, and a creative digital business hub will firmly root the theatre as a space to inspire and create.

Today also sees the launch of our new website and its digital heritage collection, alongside new identities for our education, community and artist support programmes.

Get Creative is the new name for our programme of creative work with schools, families and communities, which is expected to reach over 50,000 young people in the next five years using theatre, dance, music and heritage.

A new co-working space called Husa (meaning ‘to create an illusion or dream’ in Cornish), will nurture and support Cornish performance artists and the creative industries, and is a first for a UK regional theatre.

And our History & Heritage programme, supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, works with the community and volunteers to creatively interpret the building’s 175-year old history. The first phase of our online heritage collection, showcases the breadth and depth of the stories and histories that have been collected to date with oral histories, podcasts and a scrollable photographic timeline. Do take a look and browse through the performance timeline over the decades and then so share your stories and memories with us – it’s a developing online collection for which we have great ambitions.

Last month, we announced that the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical, a co-production of the first of our producing arm, Cornwall Playhouse Productions, which will raise the curtain on our multi-million pound transformation and form the foundation of our inaugural launch season.

When we are able, we aim to throw open our doors to host a number of open days, with social distancing measures if required, welcoming you, our community, and visitors alike, to look around and test our new venue ahead of reopening.

Whilst we all navigate our way through the months ahead, we are so glad to have you with us on our journey – ensuring we could achieve the ambitions Cornwall so keenly needs. We look forward to the positive impact our newly re-modelled theatre will make on the lives of people returning to culture, and on the economy of our region. Only with your support is this being made possible. Thank you.

Thanks to Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the government's Culture Recovery Fund, we can continue to be here for Culture, here for Heritage & here for Cornwall.

We are delighted to have heard today that we have been awarded a £2m Arts Council England grant from the Cultural Capital KickStart Fund, part of the Government's £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19.

We are one of 74 organisations receiving grants totalling £58.9 million today. The Capital Kickstart fund was launched in August to help existing holders of Arts Council capital grants to complete building projects that would otherwise be stalled by the impacts of the pandemic.

Part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, the money is designed to cover increased costs relating to Covid-19, including extended completion dates and the loss of fundraising income.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has also confirmed today that it is providing an additional £231,000 to our Revealing City Hall heritage project, bringing its total investment to £2.8m to support the restoration and promotion of our building’s rich 175 year history and its importance as a civic and municipal space.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “This government promised it would be here for culture and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word. The £1 billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications. Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture – so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.” 

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England said “Today’s announcement is another vital step in securing the future of England’s cultural sector. Supporting capital projects will help to ensure that we maintain an innovative, sustainable cultural infrastructure that supports world class creative work, while the loans announced today will enable some of our largest and most prestigious cultural organisations to weather the effects of Covid-19 and reopen when it is safe to do so. The Arts Council is grateful to the Government for their support through the Culture Recovery Fund, and we are proud to support all the organisations receiving funding today.”

Truro and Falmouth MP Cherilyn Mackrory said: “This is a hugely important project for Cornwall and I’m delighted that Arts Council England is using some of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to offset the impacts of Covid-19. Once complete the Hall For Cornwall is expected to bring over £35m to the Cornish economy in the first five years and create 165 jobs, and play an important role in our post-pandemic economic recovery.”

In 2018, we shut our doors to embark on an ambitious transformation which has seen our Grade II listed building entirely gutted to make way for a greatly enlarged auditorium, new cafés, bars, and creative business space. When we started out on our journey, we could never have planned for the events of 2020 that have impacted all our lives.

Our project was hit by delays after the site was forced to shut down entirely for a month during the first lockdown, and since then has been impacted by social distancing rules, slowing construction and increasing costs. We had originally been due for completion this year but, as a result of the award, can now look forward to our reopening, aiming to stage our first major show – a world premiere – in September 2021.

Dame Rosemary Squire DBE, Co-Chair of trustees of Hall For Cornwall, said: “We warmly welcome this investment from the Government’s Cultural Capital Kickstart Fund. It is a vital contribution towards us realising the transformation of this well-loved theatre into a powerhouse for arts, culture and creativity for the whole of Cornwall, and we can’t wait to reopen our doors next year.”

Julien Boast, HFC’s Chief Executive and Creative Director, said: “We’ll soon be announcing details of our first major co-production for next year and we’re hugely grateful to Arts Council England for stepping in with this vital grant from the Cultural Capital KickStart Fund to cover extra Covid-related project costs. We’re also grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for an additional £231,000, which has also been announced today.

“The virus has delayed our reopening but that has only hardened our resolve to put together a fantastic programme of entertainment for our inaugural season. While we work towards completing the build we are continuing with our community activities across Cornwall, supporting local talent, young people and schools.”

Alan Davey CBE, Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Hall for Cornwall Board member, said: “The Hall For Cornwall is undergoing an extensive transformation that will make it a cornerstone of Cornwall’s cultural offer and an asset for all the community. This vital funding through Arts Council England will offset the impact of Covid-19 on the build and paves the way for a triumphant opening in 2021.”

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England said: "We are really pleased to announce seven awards from the Culture Recovery Fund: Capital Kickstart across the South West today. This latest tranche of funding to be announced from the Government’s generous package of support for the arts, culture and heritage sector ensures that many of the regions ambitious and ongoing cultural developments – that have been delayed due to Covid-19 – can now securely get back on track to reopening and serving their communities with fantastic cultural experiences.”

The pandemic has hilighted how much community matters and our new home will be a beacon for the county, playing a vital role in Cornwall's economic recovery. Our reimagined theatre will provide welcome spaces for schools and community groups and new backstage facilities will widen access, helping us to provide many more creative opportunities for young people and schools.

We're passionate about throwing open our doors next year and welcoming you all back to a new  theatre which has people, passion and possibility at its heart.

We are truly grateful to the partnership working of all our funders on this project which is being supported by Arts Council England, Cornwall Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, HM Treasury, the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, the European Regional Development Fund and an army of passionate and committed supporters.