South Mill Arts facts for kids
South Mill Arts is a lively place in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. It's where you can enjoy theatre, art, and learn about local history. It also hosts different events and meetings. One of its buildings, now the Bishop's Stortford Museum, is famous as the birthplace of Cecil Rhodes.
The whole complex was updated in 2005. Today, it has a theatre with 300 seats and a flexible studio space. There's also a museum, an art gallery for photos and paintings, and a cozy café bar. South Mill Arts offers many different art events. It welcomes professional shows, dance groups, musicians, and comedians. You can also watch movies in its special tiered cinema room.
This arts center was once called the Rhodes Arts Complex. On August 24, 2020, its name was changed to South Mill Arts. This change happened because of campaigners from Harlow. They were part of the Black Lives Matter protests. These protests spoke out against unfair treatment, which started in the United States after the sad event of murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.
Bishop's Stortford Museum
Netteswell House is now known as the Bishop's Stortford Museum. This building was the birthplace of Cecil Rhodes. He was a British financier who started the diamond company De Beers. He also gave his name to a region called Rhodesia.
The museum is home to the Rhodes Collection. This collection includes interactive displays, old documents, and photographs. These items help tell the story of Cecil Rhodes' life. The Rhodes Birthplace Trust is a special group that runs the museum. It is a registered charity under English law.
Museum Collections and History
The Bishop's Stortford Museum brings together two older collections. It combines items from the former Rhodes Memorial Museum. It also includes items from the Bishop's Stortford Local History Museum. The Rhodes' Birthplace Museum first opened in 1938. It was set up in two houses built in the early 1800s. These buildings are now protected as Grade II-listed buildings. The museum you see today opened its doors in 2005.
The oldest part of Rhodes' home has exhibits about his life. You can see items from 19th-century Southern Africa that he collected during his travels. There's also a recreated Victorian drawing room. This room looks like a middle-class home from that time. It includes family items that belonged to the Rhodes family. The museum also has many exhibits that teach visitors about the local history of Bishop's Stortford.
