Hope Mill Theatre Will Relaunch Community Hub

Hope Mill Theatre is relaunching its award-winning community hub, which it was forced to close in early 2024 due to costs, as part of an expansion of the much-loved venue. The community hub – which won an I Love Mcr Award just months before it closed – was based on Pollard Street, close by to Hope Mill Theatre.

The hub was home to the organisation’s outreach programmes, including the Theatre School, Community Choir & Orchestra and the Play Reading Club. The space was also used by local charity and community groups as well as theatre companies for rehearsals and events.

It shut its doors in Spring 2024 due to costs but now, to coincide with Hope Mill Theatre’s 10th birthday, the community hub is set to reopen within the Hope Mill building, as part of an extension of the current theatre and bar space.

Hope Mill Theatre is located in the rear of the ground floor of the 200-year-old mill – as part of these plans it will take over the front of the ground floor – a move that will see the organisation double its square footage.

The new space will include an accessible dressing room and an extra accessible backstage toilet facility, a large community room and dance studio, individual singing rooms, a rehearsal studio and office space.

The space will be shared with neighbours in AWOL studios, and will also include brand new creative work spaces and offices.

William Whelton CEO and co-founder of Hope Mill Theatre, said: “It was a really difficult decision to make back in 2024 to close the community hub, but at the time a necessary one. Despite the closure of the hub, our outreach work – including our theatre school, orchestra and choir - has continued in other spaces across the local area and we are so grateful for their support.  However it is really important for us to bring together all of our wonderful community programmes under one roof so when the rest of the ground floor of Hope Mill became available, we knew the time is right to expand.

“The new community space will be connected directly through our current bar area and will also allow us to expand with more office space, dressing rooms and a much-needed dance and rehearsal studio.

“Hope Mill Theatre celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year, and myself and Joe could never have imagined the growth and impact the organisation would have made over the period and there are lots of exciting plans ahead. But we desperately need to expand and need more space, so to have the opportunity to grow within the current building feels right.”

Hope Mill Theatre has launched a fundraising campaign to help fund the works, with both corporate sponsorship and individual donations welcome. Donate today.

For more information on the Community Hub please visit HERE

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