HALL FOR CORNWALL CELEBRATES ST PIRANS DAY BY UNVEILING BILINGUAL SIGNAGE

As the Cornish celebration of St Piran’s Day rolls around, we've proudly unveiled our new dual Cornish-English signage!

A key part of our transformation was revealing the heritage of City Hall and its significance within the Cornish community throughout the years. We decided that one of the most effective ways we could do this is by having bilingual signage celebrating the Cornish language, showcasing how it can be used effectively going forward.

We spoke to Mark Trevethan, Cornish Language Lead at Cornwall Council, who said:

'The Cornish language, Kernewek, is one of the six living Celtic languages, but is recognised as an endangered language. To ensure that Cornish is handed on to the next generation, even small things can cumulatively help to keep the language in use. Signs in public buildings, like Hall for Cornwall, are helpful for Cornish speakers to use their language in everyday life, but also for other people to learn a few words of Cornish through repeated use.'

Cornwall has a rich cultural history in performance, which began in the late 14th century with Medieval mystery plays written in Latin with Cornish stage directions. As a hub for culture in Truro, we chose to integrate the Cornish language into all 190 bilingual signs, which can be seen around the Cornwall Playhouse and throughout the building. Cornwall has a distinct sense of place elevated by its history and strong cultural legacy. Our aim is to preserve and celebrate our heritage, and the inclusion of Cornish language signage is another step towards this.

Mark further commented:

‘Hall for Cornwall’s bi-lingual signage has been designed to a high quality as part of the overall new look for the theatre. Kernewek is a feature of that design and gives the building a definite Cornish identity. This confident use of the language shows Cornish being used in an attractive way and is a great example for other public buildings to follow.’

Each sign is also designed with large, easy-to-read fonts, and directional icons to ensure they are as accessible as possible. We've always prided ourselves in providing an accessible environment throughout the Cornwall Playhouse, Green Room Café, and Playhouse Bar. Our commitment to providing a ‘Theatre for All’ has been thoughtfully integrated into the design of the building and the additional services that we provide. After all, at the heart of everything we do is our passion for welcoming one and all to experience the very best of live entertainment.

We also spoke to Cllr Carol Mould, portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods at Cornwall Council, who said:

“The Cornish language is a unique cultural asset which underpins the distinctiveness of Cornwall. I am delighted to see that Hall for Cornwall is helping to introduce Cornish words and phrases to visitors from far and wide. I hope this initiative inspires more people to consider learning Kernewek which is such an important part of our culture and heritage.”

This signage follows the redesign of our safety curtain in August 2022, which was painted by local artist Phil Walker, to display the words Safety Curtain, alongside the Cornish translation of Kroglen Sawder.

The best way to view this signage in person is to follow our Ope Way which runs from the Green Room Café on Lemon Quay, through the Cornwall Playhouse, to the Playhouse Bar on Boscowan Street, home to the Hall for Cornwall Box Office.