Aberystwyth Arts Centre facts for kids
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| Established | 1970 |
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| Location | Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales |
| Type | Arts centre |
| Architect | Great Hall – Dale Owen of Percy Thomas Partnership Redevelopment – Peter Roberts Studio complex – Thomas Heatherwick |
The Aberystwyth Arts Centre is a super cool place for arts and culture in Wales. It's located right on the Aberystwyth University campus. It's one of the biggest arts centres in Wales!
Here, you can find a theatre, a concert hall, a studio, and a cinema. There are also four art galleries, plus cafés, bars, and shops. It's a busy hub where lots of creative things happen.
Contents
History of the Arts Centre
The University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, started building the Arts Centre in the 1970s. They wanted a place for students, the town of Aberystwyth, and everyone nearby to enjoy the arts.
Opening the Main Halls
The first part to open was the concert hall, called the Great Hall, in 1970. A famous architect named Dale Owen designed it. This building won a special award, the RIBA Gold Medal for Architecture in Wales. It also won the Gold Medal for Architecture at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1971.
The second part, the theatre, was finished in 1972. It's called 'Theatr y Werin', which means 'theatre of the people'.
From the very beginning, the Arts Centre welcomed all kinds of performances. They supported local groups and university shows. They also invited big professional companies to perform. The University, the Arts Council of Wales, and the West Wales Association for the Arts have always helped support the centre.
Growing the Programmes
Roger Tomlinson was the first manager. He helped plan the centre and ran it until 1975. He brought in famous actors like Pete Postlethwaite and Julie Walters.
Ken Williams took over as manager in 1975. He loved classical music and helped create the popular summer musical shows. Did you know that Michael Ball had his first professional show here in 1985? It was in a production of Godspell.
In 1978, the art exhibitions grew a lot with new funding. Alan Hewson became the Exhibitions Officer. He also started the Arts Centre Café in 1980 and the Bookshop in 1981. He even began the film programme in 1983 and the first community arts programme in 1984. He became the Director the next year.
New Ways to Grow
In 1985, the Arts Council of Wales changed how it gave money. The Arts Centre needed to find new ways to fund its artistic programmes. They came up with three main ideas:
- Working with partners for artistic shows.
- Connecting more with the community through arts programmes.
- Earning more money from their shops, cafés, and events.
Fun Festivals Begin
Festivals were a great way to bring in more people. The Musicfest International Music Festival and Summer School started in 1986. Now, it has over 30 concerts and events each year. About 100 young musicians from all over the world come for the Summer School.
The International Ceramics Festival began in 1987. It brings over 1,000 potters and ceramic artists from around the globe!
Over the next 20 years, the Arts Centre helped start many more festivals. These include festivals for children's literature, poetry, theatre for young people, world music, and even horror films!
Expansion and New Buildings
The Arts Centre kept growing. In 2000, a big redevelopment project opened. It cost £4.3 million and added new galleries, workshops, a cinema, and dance studios. Architect Peter Roberts designed this award-winning project.
In 2009, a new studio complex for artists and creative businesses was finished. This £1.25 million project was designed by Thomas Heatherwick. It won a Royal Institute of British Architects Award and a Civic Trust Award. These studios host artists from the UK and other countries like Finland, Canada, Australia, and Pakistan. More units were added in 2011.
How the Arts Centre is Funded
The Arts Centre earns most of its money from ticket sales and its shops, cafés, and conferences. This is about 78% of its income! This is much higher than many other arts places in the UK.
It also gets important funding from the University, the Arts Council of Wales, and Ceredigion County Council. The Arts Centre has become a very successful place for the arts in Wales.
What You Can Do There
The Arts Centre is open every day of the year. It offers a full programme of theatre, dance, music, exhibitions, films, and comedy. You can also take many classes and courses in performing and visual arts. During the summer, there are festivals and big theatre shows. These attract both local people and tourists.
Theatre
The theatre has 312 seats. It shows both professional and local community plays. Sometimes, their own shows even go on tour! You can see theatre, dance, opera, comedy, and musicals. There's a special family show at Christmas and a traditional pantomime. The Summer Season production runs for five weeks in July and August.
Studio
The Studio can seat up to 80 people. It's a smaller, more cozy space. It's perfect for new and experimental shows or poetry readings. It also helps new artists and performers share their work.
Concert Hall
The Great Hall has 1250 seats. It hosts music concerts, theatre shows, and fun entertainment. University events, like Graduation Ceremonies, also happen here. This big space can also be used for trade shows, conferences, and even weddings! These events help the Arts Centre earn money.
Cinema
The cinema has 112 seats. It shows all kinds of movies: Hollywood blockbusters, foreign films, independent movies, and old classics. They show at least two films every day. There are also special screenings for parents with babies and film society events. The cinema uses cool technology like Digital HD and 3D. You can even watch live shows from places like the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Bolshoi Ballet! It also hosts festivals like Abertoir and the Wales One World Film Festival.
Galleries
- Gallery 1 is the main space. It shows modern art like paintings, sculptures, and digital art.
- Gallery 2 focuses on prints and photography.
- The Ceramics Gallery shows amazing pottery from all over the world. It also has the Aberystwyth University Ceramics Collection.
- The Café Gallery shows smaller artworks in a relaxed setting.
- 'The Eye' is a tiny viewing space for artists' films.
Workshop Spaces
The Arts Centre has many workshops for its community arts programme. These include four dance studios, a ceramic studio, and studios for 2D and 3D art. There are also rehearsal spaces, a recording studio, and a photography suite. Students, staff, and the local community can use these great facilities. They can learn and practice many art forms. People are encouraged to show off their new skills in public shows and exhibitions.
Cafés and Bars
The Arts Centre runs its own cafés and bars. They are great places to grab a snack or a drink.
Shops
The Craft and Design shop sells cool modern crafts and jewellery. They especially feature work made in Wales. In November and December, they have a Craft Fair with many Welsh-made items. The bookshop sells books, including academic ones. It also hosts book launches and literary events.
Amazing Numbers
The Arts Centre welcomes over 750,000 visitors every year! They have over 800 planned events. About 100,000 people take part in the community arts and education programmes.
The Arts Centre is known as one of the most successful arts centres in Wales. Between 2000 and 2010, attendance at performances went from 56,000 to 100,000 each year. Participation in community arts grew from 30,000 to 86,000. Exhibition attendance jumped from 40,000 to 200,000. Cinema attendance went from 5,000 to 46,000. These numbers show how much the Arts Centre has grown and how popular it is!
