St Mary's Church, Thornbury
Imagine enjoying a picnic in an idyllic location followed by a wonderful concert in a beautiful church setting. If this appeals to you, keep Saturday July 7th free in your diary. Arts and Community in Thornbury (ACT) have invited the renowned Flowers Band to give a concert in St Mary’s Church at 7pm.
The Flowers Band is now in its 40th year and recently won the West of England Championship which qualifies them for the National Championship at the Albert Hall. They are among the top 20 brass bands in the world and have won numerous prestigious championships over the years.
The owners of Glebe Cottage are generously opening their Glebe Field for the occasion and concertgoers will be invited to bring along a picnic to enjoy in this tranquil and charming corner of Thornbury. The field will be open from 4pm and there will be pre-concert entertainment to get you in the mood. What a treat!
Tickets (£11, £10 FACTS) will be available at the The Thornbury Garden Shop from June 1st.
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Armstrong Hall, Thornbury
Come along and spend an evening with South Gloucestershire’s Choirs led by the irrepressible Liz Martin, the indomitable Kate Phillipson-Masters and guest artist, folk singer, Johnny Coppin.
The event will be in two parts. In the afternoon there will be a workshop for the choir members including a warm up session with Liz and Kate and then Johnny will teach us a song especially written by him for the occasion.
In the evening there will be a concert at which each participating choir will sing two songs of their own choice and then the massed choirs will perform Johnny’s song. We are delighted to have Johnny Coppin with us for the day as he has been one of our greatest supporters right from the very beginning. This will be his third visit to Thornbury under the ACT banner. With Kate and Liz at the helm it will be a fun day for the choirs and audience alike.
To learn more about ACT's exciting project to provide a theatre-based community complex, please click below.
The Chantry, Thornbury
Mumping Night
The Chantry, Castle Street, Thornbury
ACT: Arts and Community in Thornbury
What's the latest?
Click here to download ACT's February 2012 newsletter
In May 2012, Adrian Dennis wrote the following update:
Has it really been 5 years since the official launch of ACT at Berkeley Castle? So much has happened since then, so much has been achieved. ACT is now a registered charity & limited company. Initially, our aspirations were simply to build an arts & performance venue to support the needs of Thornbury & the surrounding area. However, over the past few years our mission has evolved into something much more important, with the emphasis on ‘Community’. We have developed an excellent working relationship with the Armstrong Hall Charitable Trust (AHT) & we’re delighted to report on some recent developments.
What does ACT propose to do? In partnership with the AHT, ACT would like to redevelop the Armstrong Hall Complex & create a vibrant & flexible theatre, a modern hall, cinema facilities, studios & much more to support all existing services & future needs. The Armstrong Hall, kindly given to Thornbury by Frank Armstrong, has served the town well over the years, but now needs replacing. Built in the 1970s it no longer fulfils current & future needs of both the community & performance groups. Some time ago the family of Frank Armstrong was kind enough to bless what ACT was trying to achieve, recognising that it was time to move on.
So, what is the Armstrong Hall Charitable Trust’s response to ACT’s proposals? The Trust looks after and manages the Complex on behalf of the town. ACT & the AHT set up a working group to explore the possibilities, resulting in one of the most important milestones for the project. The following resolution was unanimously passed on 14th February 2012 by members of the Trust:
The Armstrong Hall Charitable Trust resolves to join with Arts & Community in Thornbury & others in the construction of a new community & arts facility for the benefit of Thornbury & surrounding areas which will re-provide facilities to enable the services currently provided by the Armstrong Hall Complex to continue, including the museum, & in addition to provide a flexible performance space & supporting facilities. To this end the Trust will:-
All consistent with the Trust Deed of the Armstrong Hall Charitable Trust & subject to agreement by the Charity commission, and subject to the following conditions:-
And what does this mean for existing buildings on the Complex? In the proposals we would (1) replace the existing Armstrong Hall & the Old Bakery Annex with facilities that still offer the valuable services provided (2) create a new home for the museum, and (3) retain the important Cossham Hall as an integral part of the development. In addition there is a possible option to include 67 High Street (owned by the Council), subject to purchase opportunities.
So who pays for it all? ACT does. We have employed a Fundraising Consultant to develop & implement a major fundraising strategy. ACT will seek support from lottery/heritage/Arts Council funding, trusts, major benefactors & thousands of donors, large & small. Through successful community events we have already raised enough funds for essential consultancy work. Events have included the re-introduction of Mumping Night to Thornbury, a bi-annual golf event & the hugely successful Wigan Girls, staged at the Leisure Centre.
How do we make it sustainable? By ensuring that we have a well-balanced, well managed, interesting & full programme of events throughout the year. Most importantly, the theatre must attract professional touring companies as well as local amateur groups. It will prove to be the ideal venue for professional acts appearing in the ever popular Thornbury Festival. The business will rely on income from professional events, cinema facilities & bar/café revenues. We want to make sure that the new complex is welcoming & provides an important focal point. Such a facility will be seen as an asset & an attraction for the town, drawing in visitors from far & wide, raising Thornbury’s profile & helping businesses & restaurants to flourish.
Will amateur groups be able to afford to use the facility? Absolutely. This is a community project. All existing users of the Armstrong Hall, Cossham Hall & Old Bakery Annex will be catered for in the design of the theatre, new hall & modern spaces. There will be schemes to help performing groups raise their ticket sales & not pay disproportionate fees for smaller productions. The theatre itself will cater for audiences ranging from very small to up to 500.
How does this project relate to the Armstrong Hall Backstage Improvement Appeal? The Appeal is quite separate to ACT. It addresses the more immediate, essential upgrades & issues. ACT is looking at a longer term solution for total redevelopment of the site & it could be around 3 years before we start building.
So what’s next? Consultants have produced a 100 page initial feasibility study, available on the ACT & AHT websites. The outcome of the study is that the proposal is potentially viable, but subject to a detailed business case being developed. It justifies ACT’s decision to continue pursuing its vision. As part of the development of the business plan, we have employed Anne Minors Performance Consultants for theatre design, local architect Russell Lewis and Martyn Green, CEO of ‘The Courtyard’ Centre for the Arts in Hereford.
What are the chances of the project going ahead? Independent views are that there is a 50:50 chance that all the parameters needed to proceed will be proven to justify not only the new build but, most importantly, to provide a commercial, sustainable venue that is welcomed by the majority of local residents, businesses &, vitally, potential users, participants & audiences.
Can others get involved? Yes, we’re very keen to have as much support as possible, perhaps offering some skills or simply becoming a Friend of ACT (FACT). Everyone is welcome. Readers may know some of the following committee members; Chris Roberts (Chairman), Philip Darley (past Chairman), Lyn Bedford, Dylan Griffiths, Barbie Davies, Adrian & Jenny Dennis, Kate Phillipson-Masters, Jackie Jackson, Rex Sackett, Ruth Piolle, Mary Hoad, John Rowley & Nalin Parmar. Celebrity supporters include our patron Catherine Johnson (writer of Mamma Mia), Sir Richard Eyre (10 years Artistic Director for the National Theatre), Johnny Coppin (Well known composer & folk singer) & Chris Harris (Multi-talented performer & writer). We are delighted that Willy Russell (Educating Rita, Blood Brothers & Shirley Valentine) is the latest to offer his support & is hoping to do a fundraiser for ACT, in Thornbury, sometime in 2012. These are exciting times!
How to contact ACT
Sir Richard Eyre, helping ACT celebrate its 4th anniversary
To become a FACT (Friend of ACT) and receive regular mailings, please contact Ruth Piolle on 01454 416518 or
Website: www.ACTthornbury.org.uk
Chairman: Chris(topher) Roberts
c/o 52 High Street, Thornbury, BS35 2AN
Email:
Company Secretary: Lyn Bedford
35 Sibland Road, Thornbury, BS35 2EP
Tel: 01454 884154
Email:
Finance Director: Dylan Griffiths
Applestone Barn, Chapel Road, Oldbury-on-Severn, BS35 1PL
Tel: 01454 281611
Email:
Immediate Past Chairman: Philip Darley
50 High Street, Thornbury, BS35 2AN
01454 416291
Email:
The History of ACT
Following a successful public meeting in November 2005, when support for ACT's project was positively and overwhelmingly expressed, a volunteer, 14 strong Steering Group was established in February 2006 and has been ably supported by a small group of volunteer consultants, offering expertise in the fields of arts, education, business acumen, town planning, architecture and legal procedures.
In 2006 ACT became a Limited Company, setting up its own financial systems, with a generous starting fund of over £4,000 received from the profits of The Thornbury Plays 2000, a community production.
In 2007, ACT became a Registered Charity. Since then ACT's profile has been raised in many ways, with several hundred FACTs [Friends of ACT] and a wealth of supporters from the Arts World, such as Barry Cryer, Samuel West, Willy Russell, Chris Harris, Kate Haste, Trevor Fry and Chris Vacher, all lending vital support.
Image by Pat Collins
The Steering Group was thrilled to welcome Catherine Johnson, author and scriptwriter of Mamma Mia! ~ the musical and film, as ACT's Founder Patron at the beginning of 2009.
This was the year which also saw the culmination of a hugely successful arts events programme, with the staging of a mammoth community production: The Wigan Girls which was conceived and written by local girl: Janet Halfyard, orchestrated by Nigel Davies and directed by Barbie Davies.
The musical played to audiences of 500 nightly, in Thornbury Leisure Centre, the only local venue large enough to accommodate a cast of 300, plus technical and practical support given by another 200 people and this size of audience, but spacious as it is, the Centre's limitations did emphasize the need for proper theatrical facilities!
Both audience members and participants came from Thornbury and its surrounding areas, such as Almondsbury, Olveston, Alveston, Charfield, Wotton under Edge, Dursley and Chipping Sodbury, plus much further afield, like Bristol, Portishead and even Scotland to view! This is exactly what we hope our theatre will eventually do!
Having held meetings with key people from MPs, Leaders of South Glos Council, Planning Officers, representatives of the Peer Group, Thornbury Chamber of Commerce, Thornbury Town Council, to performance groups, Churches and schools, ACT is now working alongside Trustees of the Armstrong Hall Complex, with a view to rebuilding on the present Armstrong site and hopefully achieving a brand new and better community complex, which will include a 500 seat theatre and attendant facilities.
ACT has already made huge strides towards realising its vision, so why not join us for the next stage of this challenging, yet exciting journey?
• Performing arts
• Music
• Film
