Riverfront Arts Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre |
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Canolfan Theatr a Chelfyddydau Glan-yr-Afon
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Photographed from the east side of the River Usk
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| General information | |
| Type | Arts centre |
| Architectural style | Deconstructivism |
| Location | Newport city centre |
| Address | Kingsway, NP20 1HG |
| Town or city | Newport |
| Country | Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°35′18″N 2°59′36″W / 51.58832°N 2.99343°W |
| Opened | 22 October 2004 |
| Cost | £15,000,000 |
| Management | Newport Live |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | Richard Jones |
| Awards and prizes | Welsh Building of the Year, 2005 Welsh Building of the Year, 2006 |
The Riverfront (Glan yr Afon in Welsh) is a cool theatre and arts centre in the city of Newport. It sits right on the west bank of the River Usk in the city centre. This amazing building was designed by the Austin-Smith:Lord architectural firm and first opened its doors on October 23, 2004.
Contents
About The Riverfront Arts Centre
Plans for a new theatre in Newport started way back in 1995. However, these plans were put on hold for a while because of changes in how local government money was managed.
Building the Centre
New plans for the arts centre were made in 2002. This was around the same time Newport was trying to become a city. The estimated cost for the centre was about £15 million. The project got help from the Arts Council of Wales and a grant from the National Assembly for Wales.
Construction began in May 2002. It took two years to build. There was a small delay when workers found a medieval ship that was about 500 years old!
The Riverfront finally opened on October 23, 2004. The very first event was a concert featuring singer Katharine Jenkins and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Unique Design and Awards
The building's design is quite special. It's described as a celebration of a style called Deconstructivism. This style often uses unusual shapes and angles, making buildings look like they're coming apart or being put together in a new way.
The design was very popular with some people, but others weren't so sure. It won the Welsh Building of the Year award two years in a row, in 2005 and 2006. However, in March 2004, it came second in a public vote for Wales's most "ugly" building. So, people had strong feelings about it!
A Popular Place
By its 10th birthday in 2014, the centre was welcoming around 90,000 visitors each year. This was twice as many as they expected when it was first built! At that time, it was estimated to host 180 performances, 550 workshops, and 110 film screenings every year.
In 2020, the theatre received special funding from the Arts Council of Wales and the National Lottery. This money helped it manage during the COVID-19 pandemic and also allowed them to improve their ticketing systems.
What You Can Do at The Riverfront
The Riverfront has lots of different spaces for fun and learning.
- The Main Theatre: This is the biggest space, with seats for 482 people. It hosts all sorts of shows, like comedy, opera, dance, music, and drama.
- The Studio: This smaller space seats 128 people. It often shows more experimental performances and films.
- Workshop Spaces: There are three workshop rooms where you can take art classes. These include ceramics (making things with clay) and life drawing.
- Dance Studio: This studio is perfect for dance and theatre classes. You can learn salsa, breakdancing, circus skills, and even join youth theatre groups.
- Recording Studio: This studio can be rented out and is also used for workshops on rock & pop music and DJing.
The centre has also hosted some famous events. These include BBC One's "Question Time" TV show, filming for "Dr. Who," and live radio broadcasts from the BBC.
Every year since it opened, The Riverfront has put on traditional pantomimes around Christmas and New Year. For example, Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist Mark James performed in "Jack and the Beanstalk" in 2007 and "Aladdin" in 2010.
In the 2010s, The Riverfront became the home of the yearly Big Splash festival. This outdoor arts festival attracts about 20,000 visitors!
Art Gallery
The Riverfront has a small art gallery. It shows art from local artists and other free exhibitions. You can see photography, painting, and sculpture here.
The Basement Gallery is also used for exhibitions. In 2008, it hosted a cool exhibition called "Ghosts in Armour."
Food and Drinks
If you get hungry or thirsty, The Riverfront has a café and bar on the ground floor. It has great views of the River Usk. There's also an outdoor terrace where you can sit by the river.
The Newport Ship
The Riverfront has been suggested as a possible home for the Newport Ship. This is a very old ship from the 15th century that was found buried in the mud of the River Usk. However, some people think the basement space might be too small to see the whole ship.
The remains of the ship were actually found when workers were digging for the theatre's orchestra pit! The ship is about 25 metres long and dates back to 1465. Finding it was a huge deal, similar to finding the famous Mary Rose ship.
During the six months it took to dig up the ship, a special new exhibition space was designed and built beneath the foyer. This space was made with strong, waterproof concrete. It was planned to show how the ship was found, its history, and eventually the fully preserved ship itself. The design had to fit around the building's existing structure.
The ship is currently stored somewhere else. A decision still needs to be made about where it will be permanently displayed for the public to see.
Images for kids
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Café seating from above
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Centre entrance
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Viewed from the east
