Dylan Thomas Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dylan Thomas Centre |
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Dylan Thomas Centre
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| Former names | Swansea Guildhall |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | neo-classical style |
| Location |  Swansea, Wales |
| Address | Somerset Place, Swansea SA1 1RR |
| Coordinates | 51°37′09.00″N 3°56′09.00″W / 51.6191667°N 3.9358333°W |
| Completed | 1829 |
| Renovated | 1995 |
| Owner | City and County of Swansea Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Collingwood |
| Main contractor | Thomas Bowen |
| References | |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: The Old Guildhall (Former Annexe to Dynevor Comprehensive School) | |
| Designated: | 30 March 1987 |
| Reference #: | 11643 |
The Dylan Thomas Centre is a special place in Swansea, Wales. It is an arts centre where people can enjoy different creative activities. The building itself is very old and important. It is known as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a building of special interest. It is protected because of its history and architecture.
Contents
History of the Building
The building we now call the Dylan Thomas Centre has a long and interesting past. It was built to replace an even older town hall. That first town hall was from the late 1500s. It was located near Swansea Castle.
Building the Old Guildhall
The new building was designed by an architect named John Collingwood. It was built by Thomas Bowen. The style of the building is called neo-classical. This style uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings. The building was finished in 1829.
In 1852, the building was changed a bit. Thomas Taylor updated its design. He based his plans on an ancient Roman temple. The outside of the building has many windows. There are nine sections on each side. The windows on the ground floor are rounded. The windows on the first floor are tall and rounded. They have fancy columns next to them. These columns are called Corinthian order columns.
New Uses Over Time
The building was used as a town hall for many years. But in 1934, the city leaders moved to a new building. After that, this old building became a centre for young people looking for jobs. It was called a juvenile employment centre.
During the Second World War, the army used the building. It became a place where people could sign up to join the army. After the war, it went back to being a job centre for young people.
In 1960, it changed again. It became a College of Further Education. This is a place where older students can continue their studies. Then, in 1970, it became part of Dynevor School. It was an extra building for the school. Finally, it closed its doors in 1982.
Becoming the Dylan Thomas Centre
The building got a new life in 1995. It was officially opened again as the Dylan Thomas Centre. A very famous person helped open it: Jimmy Carter. He was a former President of the United States. Trevor Burtonshaw, who was the leader of Swansea City Council, also helped.
In 2012, a big part of the centre was leased to the University of Wales. The university uses it as a business centre. It helps creative businesses grow and develop.
Love the Words Exhibition
In October 2014, the centre opened a special exhibition. It is called "Love the Words." This exhibition is always there for visitors to see. It teaches people all about the life and work of Dylan Thomas. He was a famous Welsh poet and writer.
The exhibition uses many different things to tell his story. You can see letters he wrote. There are also books, notes, and photographs. This amazing exhibition was made possible with a lot of help. The Heritage Lottery Fund gave almost £1 million to create it.
Events and Festivals
The Dylan Thomas Centre is a busy place all year round. It has many literary events. These include:
- Book launches for new books
- Plays and performances
- Poetry evenings where people read poems
- Changing exhibitions on different topics
- Science talks
The centre also hosts a special event every year. It is called the Dylan Thomas Festival. This festival happens between Dylan Thomas's birthday and the date he passed away. These dates are from October 27th to November 9th. It is a time to celebrate his life and his amazing writing.
See also
In Spanish: Dylan Thomas Centre para niños
