We could never have envisaged, setting out on our far-reaching plans to restore and reimagine our theatre and its much-loved and Grade II listed home, the events of 2020 that have affected every part of all our lives. And for our sector, the impacts of Covid-19 are well-reported and cannot be understated. In spite of all recent challenges, I am very pleased to be contacting you with a project update in respect of your continued support of the transformation of Hall For Cornwall.

One of the by-products of the coronavirus lockdown has been the way in which performance has reached new audiences around the world as artists and institutions stream content to people starved of live performance. Here at the Hall, we’ve been doing our bit too, signposting visitors to our website to a weekly round-up of armchair entertainment from around the world and closer to home, including Life in Lockdown blogs from our HFC Youth members.

We’ve hosted Unlocked, a new online dance programme for our young dancers and their creative endeavours, and supported our many freelancers and artists with a mixture of weekly online drop-ins and bespoke 1-2-1- funding advice and guidance to help navigate this difficult time. Recently, we were able to start our youth theatre and dance groups in person again, and who would have thought that the social distancing ‘boxes’ we have marked out in tape on the floor could inspire so much creativity.

There is no doubt that we miss live performance and the energy that comes from being part of something together. It’s that shared experience which makes live theatre so magical. And it’s our passion to bring that experience to more people in Cornwall that is driving our transformation of the Hall For Cornwall.

Since we last reported on our redevelopment much has been achieved and those who have been fortunate to visit the construction works have found themselves breath-taken and quite visibly moved by the sight of our auditorium coming together. The performance space, and its associated offices, creative hub workspaces, bars and cafés, are all taking shape. We’ve had delivery of the first few seats to be fitted into the auditorium and are making final selections on other fixtures and fittings.

Despite being closed through the pandemic, we’ve not been immune to its effects. The impact of lockdown meant we lost a month of building work and since reopening the site our contractor has been operating at reduced capacity to comply with social distancing measures.

That has impacted both our timetable and our costs, and with the continued uncertainties around the pandemic, we are constantly reviewing when will be the best time to reopen next year. Spring 2021 has been our hope but with the recent talk of further potential lockdowns and the impact on lead times required by the quality shows we want to stage, we cannot commit to that with certainty. Like many therefore we are having to keep our options open and I will of course continue to keep you informed.

What we are sure of however is that we will be ready to raise the curtain whenever that time comes. Despite a longer period of closure than ever envisaged we have kept together our small but talented and committed team, and have continued to deliver our youth outreach work and the support we give to our associate artists and the wider creative sector.

We already have the makings of an exhilarating programme from across the theatrical spectrum for when we do reopen. We’re working closely with touring shows, musicians, comedians and other eagerly anticipated visitors to our stage who can’t wait to be on the road again and are excited to appear in our new auditorium in front of a passionate and loyal community, who every day tell us that they miss us. This reminds our whole team of why we set out on this project, and how the end goal will enrich the lives of our community on the other side of the current difficulties.

At the same time, the support of our funders and donors has been vital in enabling us to meet some of the increased costs of the project. At national government level we have secured support from the Getting Building Fund and we enjoyed a recent mention in the House of Commons by our local MP advocating for ‘our fantastic theatre on the brink of completion, serving the whole of Cornwall and acting as a beacon for the arts for the whole county’. We are also grateful for continued support at local authority level from Cornwall Council and of course to our cherished philanthropic and Trust & Foundation advocates. But we are nothing without you, our community, and I thank you for all your kindness and ongoing messages of support. Responses to our Name A Seat campaign have been incredible and I am humbled and overwhelmed by all of your dedications coming in from across Cornwall.

It’s been a tough year but as I reflect on our reopening next year, I look forward to the vital role we will play in Cornwall’s post-pandemic economic recovery, helping to bring jobs, footfall and vitality back to Truro city centre, and I hope lifting the hearts of everyone from across Cornwall along the way. We look forward to the day when we can open our doors to one and all once again.

Take care, stay safe and see you very soon.

Last but most certainly not least, we have come to our final Local Hero to be nominated and chosen to have a seat named after them in our brand new auditorium. It’s…. NICK DARKE.

Nicholas Temperley Watson Darke, known to all as Nick, was a playwright who was born in Cornwall. He was a passionate fisherman and wrecker ( beachcomber) and conservationist.

Nick was educated at St Merryn Primary School, Truro Cathedral School and Newquay Grammar School before training as an actor at the Rose Bruford College in Kent. After making his professional début in repertory at the Lyric, Belfast, he went on to learn his craft at the Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, where he acted in over eighty plays and directed several more. At Stoke he wrote his first full-length play, Never Say Rabbit in a Boat in 1977. He gave up acting to write full-time in 1978. Over the next twenty-eight years, he wrote twenty-seven plays which have been performed in theatres all over the world. He also wrote for radio, television and film.

Many of his plays reflect Cornish society and culture such as the tin mining, countryside, fishermen and the quirky nature of country living. During the later part of his career he worked regularly with the theatre company Kneehigh Theatre. His literary voice is very distinctive and although many of his characters, plots and settings are rooted in the Cornish past, his themes are often of relevance to the Cornwall of today. As one of his earliest reviews, in The Financial Times stated: “Darke gives shape to a Cornish identity that feels vital and real and has nothing to do with clay pipes and clotted cream”.

Nick sadly died in 2005 and his work has continued to be celebrated and performed by many. Indeed, in 2018/19 we produced a festival entitled NICK DARKE 70, celebrating Nick’s work and legacy in what would have been his 70th year. With a whole host of collaborators, we created new composite works Riots & Lobsters with Jim Carey and Darke Women with Bec Applebee, and also staged a musical version of Hell’s Mouth performed at HFC by our Youth Company and a new documentary film developed by Jane Darke.

We are thrilled to be able to honour and remember Nick in our new auditorium.

Our next local hero has a long running history with the Hall For Cornwall, playing a vital role in securing the future of our much loved theatre. HFC would not be complete without his name in it, so having a seat in our brand new auditorium named in his honour is….

DENNIS ARBON MBE

Former trustee of Hall For Cornwall Dennis Arbon was a passionate supporter of the arts and, in particular, of Hall For Cornwall. Initially appointed to the venue’s board in the late 1990’s and serving four years as Chair, his strong business and management skills helped secure the future of the fledgling theatre during a period of significant financial difficulties.

Having successfully obtained funding from the Arts Council and a commitment of support from the local authority, Dennis worked with new Director Tim Brinkman to provide a sustainable future for the theatre and develop a programme which showcased the very best of local talent as well as bringing national and international performers to the HFC stage.

In 2009 he gave Upton Towans, the St Ives beach which he had bought 20 years earlier to protect it from development, to Hall For Cornwall to help raise funds to support the theatre. The beach, which inspired the Virginia Woolf novel To a Lighthouse, was eventually sold at auction for £80,000.

In 2013 Dennis was awarded an MBE for his outstanding services and philanthropy to the arts and the community in Cornwall. Unfortunately he was too ill to travel to London to receive his award and so, fittingly, it was presented to him at a moving ceremony in the Hall For Cornwall building.

Having stood down as a trustee in 2007, Dennis continued to be a passionate supporter of HFC, accepting the honorary role of President and leaving the theatre a legacy in his will. He died on Sunday September 29th  2013.

“We are very pleased that our father, Dennis Arbon, has been honoured with a seat in the Hall for Cornwall.  He would have been delighted to be recognised as a “Local Hero”.  Although not originally from Cornwall he loved the county from an early age, first working there on a farm before doing his National Service.

On moving to Cornwall our parents took a keen interest in the artistic life around them. Later the opportunity came for our father to use his skills to help guide the re-development of the Hall in Truro.  He supported the need to provide a suitable venue for the audience in the South West to experience National and International performances.

He was always keen to support Cornish talent, especially the young musicians, drama performances and the choir festivals, not only giving them a platform in the Hall but also in venues across the County.

He would have been delighted to see the continued development of the Hall for Cornwall and we wish it every success.” Dennis Arbon’s Family

We are very pleased to be able to remember and honour Dennis in our brand new auditorium.

 

Today’s Name a Seat nominations winner is an historical figure, well known in Cornwall for his musical talent and legacy. We are proud to be able to preserve his memory by honouring him in our auditorium, ensuring future generations will know his story. Having a spotlight shone on them today is….

JOSEPH EMIDY

Joseph Emidy was born in Guinea in West Africa. When he was still a child he was made a slave by the Portuguese and taken to Brazil. Sometime later, his owner took him to Portugal. There, Joseph developed into a virtuoso (very skilled) violin player with the Lisbon Opera.

In 1795, the British Royal Navy ship HMS Indefatigable visited Lisbon. The ship’s Captain, Edward Pellew, visited the Lisbon Opera and heard Joseph playing the violin. Captain Pellew press-ganged Joseph to join the ship as its violin player. Because of his skin colour Joseph wasn’t allowed to eat with the rest of the crew. For several years, he wasn’t allowed to step onto land in case he tried to escape.

On 28th February 1799, the Royal Navy left Joseph in Falmouth. In order to earn enough money to eat, he started playing and teaching the violin. He was so skilled at playing that many people came to hear him in the Truro Assembly Rooms, and he went on to become leader of the Truro Philharmonic Orchestra. Joseph wrote several pieces of music, but there is no record of them. In 1802, he married Cornishwoman Jenefer Hutchins and together they had eight children.

Joseph died in 1835 and is buried in Kenwyn churchyard in Truro. His life was celebrated at a service held in Kenwyn Church in 2007. The service marked the 200th anniversary of the end of the slave trade.

Joseph’s life story was also explored in a play called The Tin Violin, written by Cornish playwright Alan M Kent in 2012. In 2015, a wooden carving was placed in Truro Cathedral in Joseph’s honour. There is also a plaque celebrating Joseph’s achievements in the Falmouth Parish Church of King Charles the Martyr and a statue sculpted by local artist Graham Hall at the Seafarer’s Cabin in Falmouth Docks.

We are honoured to be able to add to these memorials with a seat in our auditorium and celebrate the life of a great musical talent.

Credit: Cornwall For Ever!

It’s time to reveal another of our winners in the Local Heroes Name a Seat nominations! Today we have a dynamic double act for you. These ladies have made a huge impact on the lives of many in Cornwall and couldn’t be any more deserving of this special recognition. Please give your well deserved congratulations to….

ANGIE EMRYS-JONES & SANDY LAWRENCE of CAAP UK (Cornwall Accessible Activities Program)

Back in 2013 funding was cut for a project that supported disabled children to access school holiday activities. As the manager of that project and also the parent of a disabled child Sandy knew the impact this would have on the families so together with Angie, who is also parenting a disabled child, they set up CAAP. Initially it was just a few families getting together but since then it has grown into a group of over 700 families.

In 2016 Cornwall Accessible Activities Program became a registered charity and in 2018  a new project began giving opportunity to the young people of CAAP to get work experience. CAAP support siblings, parent carers, disabled children and young people from birth to age 25.

On every week day of every school holiday the charity arranges activities for families so that when those children go back to school or college they can hold their heads high and tell their friends what a great holiday they have had.

Sandy tells us that one of their greatest achievements is enabling a totally blind young man to have a driving lesson, something neither he nor his family thought he would ever be able to do.

CAAP are a family of families, supporting one another in good times and not so good times.

“We are thrilled to have been nominated and to have been selected as one of the winners. HFC holds a very special place in our hearts, not just for us, but for all the  families in Cornwall Accessible Activities Program. Many of our children now have a life long love of theatre because of our relationship with HFC and we cannot wait until HFC is once again the beating theatrical heart of Cornwall.” Sandy & Angie

For more information please visit: www.caapuk.co.uk

We are so pleased to announce our next Name a Seat Local Hero who will have a spotlight shone on them by receiving their name on one of the seats in our brand new auditorium. This inspirational lady has left a lasting legacy in Cornwall and particularly the Cornish film industry, we are honoured to remember… LAURA HARDMAN

Laura Hardman was a Redruth based producer and project manager with experience from feature films, low-budget video projects, theatre, visual arts and fundraising.

She also worked with young people in Cornwall facilitating young filmmakers work.

Laura died in 2009 leaving behind her widower Jack and her two sons, Max aged 3 and Jasper aged 18 months.

She was the Creative Director of the Cornwall Film festival for several years, and was dedicated to the development of a sustainable media industry in Cornwall.

As well as her work with Cornwall Film Festival, other film projects have included work for Creative Partnerships, Music and Dance Education, The Education Dept of the Eden Project, Kneehigh Theatre, Rogue Theatre, The Cornwall Youth Service, The National Children’s Home and Wild.

Laura received the Eave Diploma 2007 and had an MA in Radio, Film and Television from Christchurch College Canterbury and a BA Hons first class degree in Drama from the University college of Wales, Aberystwyth.

“Finding out that Loz would be remembered in this way was really moving for me and my teenage boys Max and Jasper. Laura loved theatre, she loved story telling in all forms and she took enormous delight in the happiness of others. To think the there is a space in the Hall for Cornwall dedicated to her is profoundly moving.

Explaining to her Sons the effect their Mother had on everyone around her can be difficult sometimes, having markers like this that express the difference she made is wonderful for them.” Jack Morrison – Laura’s Husband

So many wonderful, deserving men and women of Cornwall received nominations to be recognised as our Name a Seat Local Heroes. We are very proud to be able to honour some of them in our new auditorium and it wasn’t an easy feat to decide on our ten! Our county is packed with acheivements, philanthropy and lasting legacies. Today we introduce you to our fifth local hero, not just a hero but one of only 1000 Cornish Bard’s. Introducing…. drumroll please… REVEREND JULYAN DREW

The late Reverend Julyan Drew was a proud Cornishman and a much loved an respected member of the local community in the West of Cornwall. He was married to Liz and had three children Talwyn, Trevelyan and Tremaen who all live in Newlyn. His children gave him six grandchildren Kaydy, Logan, Eden, Bronnen, Tate and Jacob who he adored.

Julyan was an active member of Mebyon Kernow and was chairman from 1983 to 1985. His employment included Social Services in a childrens home, teaching assistant, builder & social work assistant at West Cornwall Hospital, to name a few. Julyan became a lay preacher in the Methodist Church in 1990s and was ordained as a methodist minister for 22 years in the West Cornwall circuit. Julyan took a very active role in the local community, being Chaplain for Penzance Town Council, the RNLI Penlee lifeboat and the Cornwall fire brigade supporting stations in Penzance, St Just and St Ives.

Julyan was an enthusiastic singer and was a member of Newlyn Male Voice Choir and Govenek Choir. He was president of Mousehole male voice choir, a role which he undertook with his usual good humour and enthusiasm.

Julyan was honoured to be invited to be made a Cornish Bard (Seeker of the light – his Bard name was Hwilor an Golow) and arrangements were made to have the ceremony at his home in Newlyn due to his failing health. Julyan was a campainer for social justice and was honoured to be the first Grenfell Community Hero in recognition of the support he gave the bereaved families who lived in the Grenfell Tower.

Julyan passed away at St Julia’s hospice on the 25th July 2019 as a result of Bowel Cancer. He is greatly missed by the local community particularly Newlyn and Mousehole area and by his family.

Who is ready for another announcement for our Name a Seat Local Heroes? ? When you read about the achievements of our next winner it is clear to see why so many felt she deserved their nomination. Having a spotlight shone on them today is…. ???…? LADY MARY HOLBOROW DCVO ? 

Lady Mary Holborow who died on June 9 2017 aged 80, was Lord Lieutenant for Cornwall from 1994 – 2011, and even though not native to Cornwall, proved herself an exceptional champion for the county, known variously as Cornwall’s First Lady, Cornwall’s Guardian Angel, Cornwall’s Treasure and a Cornish Legend.

Her relationship with Cornwall was extraordinary.  Described as ‘Cornish by adoption and grace’, she loved and embraced all things Cornish both publicly and behind the scenes.  There is no part she was not involved with from the youth, to the farming, rugby, armed forces, male voice choirs, charities, hospitals, local authority, health and business communities.

In addition to her ongoing support for Hall for Cornwall, she was an early champion of The Eden Project, she established and chaired the Cornwall Community Foundation and set up the Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for Youth (now known as Young & Talented Cornwall).  She was made a Cornish Bard and received the Trelawney Plate, a biennial award which recognises the individual who is considered to be the ‘living embodiment of the spirit of Cornwall’.

She was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (DCVO) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.

“We are touched and honoured that my mother Mary Holborow has been nominated to be recognised and honoured in the new Hall for Cornwall auditorium.  A wonderful legacy.  She was a long term supporter of Hall for Cornwall, enthusiastically supporting it over the years as it has evolved as a beacon for Cornwall’s culture and love for the performing arts.  I know she would be humbled to know she is one of just ten Cornish individuals selected to have a seat named after them.  Thank you.” Kate Holborow on behalf of the Holborow family

It’s time to introduce you to the next well deserved winners following our Name a Seat Local Heroes nominations. Two ladies with a lasting legacy here in Cornwall, a seat will be named in honour of…. ? drumroll please ? …. THE RADFORD SISTERS – MAISIE & EVELYN RADFORD.

Maisie and Evelyn Radford were well known for their work in music in the county since they came to live in Cornwall in 1911.  Over the 50 years that they lived on the Roseland, they communicated their own delight in music all over the county and encouraged others to share it.  They brought music personally to villages throughout Cornwall and worked for many years for the Cornwall Music Festival.  They started the Falmouth Opera Singers in 1923.  Their productions of classical opera included the first performance of Mozart’s Idomeneo in England, and performances of Gluck’s operas: these were acclaimed by musicians throughout the country.  Maisie and Evelyn Radford were each awarded the MBE in 1947 in recognition of their tireless community work.

The Radford Charitable Trust was set up in 1970 with money given by the Radford Sisters to advance musical education and to help young musicians in Cornwall.  Their concern was always that individuals should be able to realise their musical potential and that they should not be held back by lack of opportunity to study.  The Trust celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2020 and continues to flourish, having supported hundreds of young musicians through grants or instrument loan over the past 50 years.

“The family and Trustees are delighted and honoured that the rich musical legacy of Maisie and Evelyn Radford is being commemorated in the new Hall for Cornwall.”

Further information www.radfordtrust.org

The second person to have a spotlight shone on them, with a seat named in our brand new auditorium, is… ? drum roll ? please…BEN LUXON.

Ben was born in Camborne in 1937 and was one of the first Cornishmen to have a notable career as a professional singer, becoming one of Britain’s major international singers and equally renowned as a recitalist, concert, opera and folk singer. Indeed in 1986, he was made CBE for his services to British Music.

He worked with most of the world’s major conductors and symphony orchestras and sang at some of most prestigious Opera Houses including The Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera, La Scala Milan and the Metropolitan in New York.

Ben played an instrumental part in the community campaign that brought about the opening of Hall For Cornwall in 1997, and his full story can be read on the blog on our website.

Ben’s singing career ended due to severe hearing loss and he now resides in Massachusetts, USA where, aided by a Cochlear Implant, he still performs as an actor, director and narrator.

Ben hopes to join us when we reopen next Spring and comments “I am so delighted and honoured to have a physical presence in this beautiful new Hall For Cornwall, especially as my involvement in creating the old Hall was one of the high points in my life at that time.”

Congratulations Ben – we look forward to you taking a deserved seat in our new theatre.

READ ON FOR BEN’S STORY OF HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN THAT GOT HALL FOR CORNWALL OPEN IN 1997

As someone who had enjoyed the privilege of performing in many of the world’s most famous opera houses and concert halls, Benjamin Luxon had become increasingly frustrated at the lack of a proper performance venue for local artists and audiences in Cornwall.

A growing friendship between Ben, then an internationally renowned opera -concert singer and Duchy Opera Director Chris Warner, led to Ben becoming the President of Duchy Opera. Sharing the same vision to provide a hall to serve the whole of the county, the two friends set about making it happen.

To deliver their ambitious plan, the duo set up the Arts Centre Trust to highlight the need for an appropriate performance venue in Cornwall and to test the support of the public for the idea. However, while Ben and Chris were convinced of the need for a hall, not all local people appeared to feel the same way. “One resident I spoke to in Redruth asked why we needed a new hall when the town had  Centenary Chapel!”

Undaunted, and fired with an enthusiasm,  Ben and Chris set out on an elementary exercise to find out what and where was the vocal talent in the County. They staged a seven day series of masterclasses beginning in Bude and ending in Penzance, visiting six  towns in all.

“We heard all comers “said Ben . “We were amazed at the positive response, with people from the ages of 16 to 60 plus coming along to the classes. In the end we worked with more than 70 singers over the seven days, putting on two concerts to give everyone a chance to perform. We found some incredibly talented singers whose later recruitment helped create an opera company which truly represented the Duchy. “

The new look Duchy Opera then took a touring production of The Magic Flute, with  Ben joining them to sing the role of Papageno together with the newly discovered singers. They performed at leisure centres and town halls in the towns which had hosted the master classes – an experience which reinforced Ben’s view that Cornwall desperately needed a proper performance venue.

“While performing with the company was an incredible experience, having to cover the  glass roof at Carn Brea Leisure Centre with black plastic and bulldog clips for the performance, or being forced to run around the outside the building at Liskeard to get from one side of the stage to the other, was not so much fun. It was very clear to me that Cornwall needed a decent hall both for local artists to perform and to attract productions from outside the county”.

While Ben and Chris were busy hatching plans to create a new venue, Carrick District Council was trying to persuade people in Truro to support the sale of the run down City Hall building to developers. “Luckily the citizens got together to fight Carrick’s plan to create a huge shopping centre in the middle of the city and the authority had to drop the idea”

Determined to push forward, Ben and Chris visited a number of Arts Centres in the south of England to gather information and, armed with a brochure setting out what needed to be done architecturally and administratively [ identification of staff needed to run the hall ] they staged a press conference at the Alverton Manor Hotel to highlight the need for a Hall for Cornwall. Thanks in part to Ben’s high profile, the press conference was attended not only by press but also by radio and television.The idea was placed firmly on the map.

“At the time we had  planned to provide whatever authority might take on such a project with as much information as possible. To our surprise Carrick Council came straight back to us saying: “You can have the Truro City Hall for a peppercorn rent . You build it. You fund it. and you run it .” We were gob smacked but quickly realized that if we did not do it, nothing would happen, and so we picked up the gauntlet”.

After taking over the running of the flea markets, the group began the task of raising the 5 million or so pounds needed to repair and convert the Edwardian building into a high quality performance venue. It was a long and difficult journey and one which Ben says would have ended in failure without a change in European funding rules which meant they could apply for an EU grant, and the creation of the then new National Lottery.

“Raising that sort of money in Cornwall would have been impossible before Lottery funding. This was a perfect project for the Lottery to support and their grant, together with the grant from the EU, and the funding raised locally, meant we had our money. We were aware that Carrick were expecting us to fail so they could then go back to the developers – but we actually succeeded.  The transformed Hall for Cornwall building re opened to the public in 1998.”

The opening of the new Hall was certainly very exciting for the public. However there had been many problems in getting there, such as an asbestos lining throughout the roof  which halted all building for a period of three weeks or so. But in a way much worse was the last minute discovery that one of the buildings main supporting pillars had virtually no foundation.   Unfortunately all work had been officially signed as completed and there was no way we could get further funding from either the Lottery or the E.U. The trustees were forced to use the funds intended to meet the theatre’s running costs for the first year to meet the costs of the repairs.

“This created a significant financial problem from the very start. Some of the trustees had little or no experience of the arts and did not understand that it was impossible to run a theatre on Box Office returns without some form of subsidy. The board did not want to ask the County Council for help and so within two years we had to turn to the Arts Council whose rescue package involved restructuring the Hall’s management”.

By this time Ben had been experiencing major  problems with his hearing and this, combined with the challenges of finding a way to save the Hall, proved very stressful.

While admitting this led to “bitter sweet” memories of this part of the project, Ben says that the early years were very exciting and great fun. “For me the best time was when I was performing with Duchy Opera and we decided that someone had to do something if Cornwall was ever to have a proper venue. We made the decision to take up the challenge and the period between this moment and when we finally got the money to do the rebuilding was incredibly exciting.

“It was a complex project, and there were highs and lows, but it was fantastic to be so deeply involved and I am very proud of what we achieved.“