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Community, Heritage, Performance The work of the Hall For Cornwall extends beyond what you see on the stage Heritage is in the bones of Hall for Cornwall. Situated within one of Truro’s most important civic buildings, City Hall, the theatre has many stories to tell. Memories whisper along the Opeway and its many, varied uses course through the granite, terrazzo and oak which shape its current incarnation as a proud and newly transformed theatre for Cornwall. From jail cells to cinemas, fashion shows to skating rinks, the hall has hosted most of Cornwall on its stage or within its walls. The team at Hall for Cornwall aims to make this rich history engaging, immersive and interactive for all ages. From 2018 to 2021, the theatre was closed for a comprehensive redevelopment, with a n 8 |
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three-year heritage project running alongside it. Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Revealing City Hall peeled back the layers of history and crafted stories, commissions and creative performances to share across Cornwall’s communities. In tandem, the theatre’s new digital heritage collection has drawn together ephemera, photography and memories from City Hall, as donated by members of the public and researched at archives including Kresen Kernow and the Royal Cornwall Museum. The collection of 800+ items includes posters, prints, maps and costumes, and serves as an overview of the building’s history and the role it has played at the heart of Truro.
| Volume 2 Issue 70 | February - March 2022
This history will be showcased on Saturday, March 5 - St Piran’s Day - as a celebration of Hall for Cornwall’s heritage work. The theatre’s youth groups will perform on the stage using the collection as their inspiration, while virtual reality (VR) tours, films, projections and drop-in workshops will be on offer on the day. “We can’t wait to showcase this work,” says collections and interpretation lead Lucy Innes Williams. “March 5 is the perfect time to shout from the rooftops about all these amazing stories and creative commissions.” As you wander through the theatre, keep your eyes peeled. Three large panels hug the entrance into the Cornwall Playhouse Auditorium, displaying the titles of 200
