Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Encyclopedia
Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of Wales' busiest and largest arts centre
s, based on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus Aberystwyth
, Ceredigion
, Wales
. It hosts a theatre (312 seats), concert hall (900 seats), studio (80 seats) and cinema (125 seats), as well as four gallery spaces and cafes, bars, and shops.
of the project was Dale Owen of Percy Thomas Partnership
(later architects of Cardiff
's new Wales Millennium Centre
) and the cost was around £1 million.
The community arts and education programme was established in 1984, initially teaching visual arts but quickly expanding to cover many traditional artistic pursuits.
In 2000 the venue underwent a £4.3 million overhaul creating new spaces including a pottery studio, print room, darkroom
, video suite, recording studio
and music rooms - plus a new 125 seat cinema
, dance studios, studio theatre
(80 seats), a new Grade 1 art gallery
(taking the total to four) plus total refurbishment of the theatre foyer, bars, craftshop and bookshop.
In the spring of 2009, a new £1.75 million redevelopment was completed to add a complex of studio units for artists and creative industries, designed by Thomas Heatherwick
. The Creative Units provide a home for the Arts Centre's major artists-in-residence programme for international visual artists and artists from the UK. This programme has been supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Charitable Trust
and Wales Arts International. These creative studios won both a Civic Trust
Award and the prestigious RIBA award, presented by the Royal Institute of British Architects
.
to Raiders of the Lost Ark
. It is also currently home to the Abertoir
horror film festival
.
acts, as well as conferences and the University's
examinations and Graduation Ceremonies
.
The arts centre's smaller theatrical venue is a studio theatre with a capacity of around 80, geared towards providing performance space for smaller productions and emerging young theatre companies.
With a turnover of approximately £5.5 million the Arts Centre is recognised as one of the most successful centres for the arts in Wales.
Arts centre
An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performance, workshop areas, educational...
s, based on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
, Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It hosts a theatre (312 seats), concert hall (900 seats), studio (80 seats) and cinema (125 seats), as well as four gallery spaces and cafes, bars, and shops.
History
Aberystwyth Arts Centre originally opened in 1970 and work continued until the final phase was completed in 1972 with the construction of the theatre, previously known as Theatr y Werin. The architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of the project was Dale Owen of Percy Thomas Partnership
Percy Thomas Partnership
Percy Thomas Partnership was a trading name of the award-winning British architectural practice originally set up by Percy Thomas in Cardiff, Wales in 1911/12. Percy Thomas and his practice put their name to a number of landmark buildings in the United Kingdom including the Wales Millennium...
(later architects of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
's new Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
) and the cost was around £1 million.
The community arts and education programme was established in 1984, initially teaching visual arts but quickly expanding to cover many traditional artistic pursuits.
In 2000 the venue underwent a £4.3 million overhaul creating new spaces including a pottery studio, print room, darkroom
Darkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
, video suite, recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
and music rooms - plus a new 125 seat cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, dance studios, studio theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
(80 seats), a new Grade 1 art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
(taking the total to four) plus total refurbishment of the theatre foyer, bars, craftshop and bookshop.
In the spring of 2009, a new £1.75 million redevelopment was completed to add a complex of studio units for artists and creative industries, designed by Thomas Heatherwick
Thomas Heatherwick
Thomas Heatherwick is an English designer known for innovative use of engineering and materials in public monuments and sculptures...
. The Creative Units provide a home for the Arts Centre's major artists-in-residence programme for international visual artists and artists from the UK. This programme has been supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Charitable Trust
Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is a registered charity founded in England in 1961. It is one of the largest independent grantmaking foundations in England, making grants to organisations which aim to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK, both now and in the future.The...
and Wales Arts International. These creative studios won both a Civic Trust
Civic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
Award and the prestigious RIBA award, presented by the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
.
Cinema
The 125 seat cinema is one of only two in the town and dedicates itself to showing a variety of films including Hollywood, foreign and independent films, and classic films, ranging from CasablancaCasablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
to Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
. It is also currently home to the Abertoir
Abertoir
Abertoir is an annual horror and horror film festival held in the Aberystwyth Arts Centre in Ceredigion, Wales in November. Currently in its sixth year, the festival began as a 3-day event and has grown since to its current 6-day schedule. Abertoir is currently Wales' only horror festival and is a...
horror film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
.
Galleries
As well as playing host to various special events throughout the year including the International Ceramics Festival, the Arts Centre also has four custom built galleries.- Gallery 1: flexible interior space for touring exhibits
- Gallery 2: contemporary photography exhibitions
- Cafe gallery: local artists/printmakers
- Ceramics gallery: permanent collection plus invited artists
Great Hall
This venue with 900 seats was the original performance space until the theatre was built and still hosts larger events including live bands, symphony orchestra concerts and stand-up comedyStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
acts, as well as conferences and the University's
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...
examinations and Graduation Ceremonies
Theatre
Previously known as Theatr y Werin, this 312 seat theatre is the Arts Centre's main venue for touring companies including Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Theatre Genedlaethol Cymru, National Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre Company and the Northern Stage Theatre Company. It is also a major centre for Welsh language drama productions. The Arts Centre traditionally creates an annual in-house performance which is exhibited here, typically a popular musicalMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
.
The arts centre's smaller theatrical venue is a studio theatre with a capacity of around 80, geared towards providing performance space for smaller productions and emerging young theatre companies.
Statistics
The arts centre currently receives over 750,000 visitors a year to the over 800 scheduled events, including 100,000 to the community arts and education programme, according to the latest published annual report.With a turnover of approximately £5.5 million the Arts Centre is recognised as one of the most successful centres for the arts in Wales.