Lighthouse (Poole) facts for kids
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| Arts centre, Theatre and Cinema | |
| Founded | Poole in 1978 |
| Headquarters | Poole |
Lighthouse is a fantastic arts centre located in Poole, Dorset, England. It's known as the biggest arts centre in the United Kingdom outside of London!
This amazing place has a 669-seat theatre, a huge 1,500-seat concert hall, a smaller 130-seat studio, and a 103-seat cinema. It also has a big gallery for photography and art, a restaurant, and four rooms for special events. The famous Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra performs regularly in the concert hall.
You can find Lighthouse right across from Poole Bus Station and the Dolphin Shopping Centre.
Contents
The Story of Lighthouse
The arts centre first opened its doors in April 1978. Back then, it was called the Poole Arts Centre. It had a theatre (the Towngate Theatre), a concert hall (the Wessex Hall), and a cinema (the Ashley Cinema). It was built to serve the people of South East Dorset conurbation.
In May 2002, the centre closed for a big makeover. This huge project cost £8.5 million! The money came from the Arts Council Lottery Awards, the Borough of Poole, and kind donations from people. It reopened in October 2002 with a new name: Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts.
The makeover added many new and improved features. These included a modern cinema, a bigger concert hall, and special labs for photography. They also made the customer areas better and added a new restaurant.
Lighthouse also gets extra money from Arts Council England to help it run. For example, in 2005/06, they received £230,000. The Poole Arts Trust Ltd. currently owns Lighthouse.
What You Can See and Do at Lighthouse
Lighthouse offers a wide variety of shows and events for everyone to enjoy.
Theatre Shows
- Musicals: You can often see popular musical tours, like Fame and Blood Brothers.
- Opera: The English Touring Opera performs here every year.
- Dance: Both modern and classic dance performances, including Ballet, are shown.
- Plays: From classic stories like Romeo and Juliet to more modern plays that show everyday life.
- Pantomime: Around Christmas, there's always a fun pantomime, like Cinderella.
- Comedy: Many funny comedians come to perform here.
Concert Hall Events
- Orchestra: The amazing Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra plays here every Wednesday night.
- Youth Orchestra: The Wessex Youth Orchestra also performs regularly.
- World Music: You can hear music from all over the world.
- Bands and Artists: Many famous bands and singers have performed at Lighthouse over the years. Some of them include KISS, The Who, Kate Bush, The Smiths, Oasis, Tina Turner, U2, Blondie, Paul Weller, New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Madness, and The Jam.
Studio Performances
- Children's Theatre: Smaller plays especially for kids are often shown here.
- Adult Theatre: You can also find smaller, more intimate plays for adults.
Cinema Movies
The cinema shows a mix of movies from around the world, as well as recent films. These usually arrive a few weeks after they are first released everywhere else.
More to Explore
- Platform 4, a theatre company
