Ucheldre Centre
Encyclopedia
The Ucheldre Centre is an arts centre
located in Holyhead
, Anglesey, Wales
.
convent. The main hall of the Centre, with its imposing height and arched roof, was designed by Professor R M Butler, of Dublin, a leading architect of his day, responsible for many public buildings in Ireland. The building is in a modernized Romanesque style, with a tall square tower, making great use of green local stone. It was saved from demolition in 1998 by a group of local residents to be used in its current guise.
, with a centre for arts events, exhibitions, and other community activities of an educational and cultural kind. Before its inauguration, Holyhead had no venue for such events. As a performance space, it seats up to 200. Extensions have been added at the back and sides, to provide room for a gallery, restaurant, and other facilities. The grounds have been landscaped, and contain an amphitheatre
for theatrical events, and sculptures by local artists. The main hall also doubles up as a cinema
, showing mainstream and less well-known films, on the Centre's film nights.
. It has also received the Prince of Wales
Award, amongst other honours.
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...
located in Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
, Anglesey, 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...
.
Architecture
Formerly, it was the chapel building of Holyhead's Bon Sauveur order of nunsChristian monasticism
Christian monasticism is a practice which began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an institution in the scriptures. It has come to be regulated by religious rules Christian...
convent. The main hall of the Centre, with its imposing height and arched roof, was designed by Professor R M Butler, of Dublin, a leading architect of his day, responsible for many public buildings in Ireland. The building is in a modernized Romanesque style, with a tall square tower, making great use of green local stone. It was saved from demolition in 1998 by a group of local residents to be used in its current guise.
Community Centre
The Ucheldre Centre is a community effort to provide those who live in and visit Holyhead, and nearby parts of north-west WalesWales
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...
, with a centre for arts events, exhibitions, and other community activities of an educational and cultural kind. Before its inauguration, Holyhead had no venue for such events. As a performance space, it seats up to 200. Extensions have been added at the back and sides, to provide room for a gallery, restaurant, and other facilities. The grounds have been landscaped, and contain an amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
for theatrical events, and sculptures by local artists. The main hall also doubles up as a cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, showing mainstream and less well-known films, on the Centre's film nights.
Famous Visitors
The Centre has regular exhibitions that have included art by such artists as Kyffin WilliamsKyffin Williams
Sir John "Kyffin" Williams, KBE, RA was a Welsh landscape painter who lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll on the Island of Anglesey...
. It has also received the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
Award, amongst other honours.