Courtyard, Hereford
Encyclopedia
The Courtyard Centre for the Arts is a theatre and arts venue in Hereford
, England
, located on Edgar Street just outside the city centre. The building was constructed between 1997 and 1998 on the site of another theatre; The New Hereford Theatre, a converted swimming baths which had become outdated. It hosts in-house shows, such as a Pantomime
and productions by a Youth Theatre
and a Community
Company, alongside national tours. It is also one of the main sites for the annual Borderlines Film Festival
.
Planning for the replacement building began in 1993 and received a significant boost when the Lottery Commission
provided £3.75 million towards the fund. The glass and wooden building was designed by Glenn Howells
and opened on 18 September 1998 after a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Jonathan Stone, then Artistic Director. The design of the Main House is based upon the shape of an Elizabethan Courtyard or Inn Yard Theatre, from which the building takes its name.
The building contains a Studio theatre in addition to its Main House (and both double as cinemas), an art gallery and two conference rooms, on the ground and first floor. There is a rehearsal room/dance studio on the second floor. It has a total seating capacity of approximately 520, in both of its venues. The studio has a third role as a lecture hall; it was from here that David Cameron
launched his LibDems 4 Cameron campaign in December 2005. The seating in both venues can be dismantled to create open spaces for events such as the annual Craft Fair (in the Main House) and the Comedy or Folk
Club (in the Studio). Both the Main House and the Studio are sound proofed and are not linked structurally within the building, in order to eliminate sound conduction between the two. There is also a licenced Cafe-Bar which hosts a number of free events such as 'Jazz Cafe' (Saturday lunchtimes), 'Sunday Social' (Sunday afternoons) and 'Open Mike Night' (First Tuesday of the month).
Between 1998 and 2004 the centre received approximately 1.2 million visitors and in 1999 it was described as being an "ultra-cool, rigorously modern" building.
The Courtyard's patrons include Sir Derek Jacobi and Jo Brand
.
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located on Edgar Street just outside the city centre. The building was constructed between 1997 and 1998 on the site of another theatre; The New Hereford Theatre, a converted swimming baths which had become outdated. It hosts in-house shows, such as a Pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
and productions by a Youth Theatre
Youth Theatre
Youth Theatre is a theatre in Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina in Serbia. Youth Theatre has two stages: the children's stage and the evening stage. Its ensemble consists of sixteen permanent characters....
and a Community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
Company, alongside national tours. It is also one of the main sites for the annual Borderlines Film Festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
.
Planning for the replacement building began in 1993 and received a significant boost when the Lottery Commission
National Lottery Commission
The National Lottery Commission is the non-departmental public body set up on 1 April 1999 under the National Lottery Act 1998 to regulate the National Lottery...
provided £3.75 million towards the fund. The glass and wooden building was designed by Glenn Howells
Glenn Howells
Glenn Howells is a British born architect. His practice, Glenn Howells Architects, has offices in Birmingham and London. Howells founded his practice in London in 1990 but later moved the main office to Birmingham in 1992....
and opened on 18 September 1998 after a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Jonathan Stone, then Artistic Director. The design of the Main House is based upon the shape of an Elizabethan Courtyard or Inn Yard Theatre, from which the building takes its name.
The building contains a Studio theatre in addition to its Main House (and both double as cinemas), an art gallery and two conference rooms, on the ground and first floor. There is a rehearsal room/dance studio on the second floor. It has a total seating capacity of approximately 520, in both of its venues. The studio has a third role as a lecture hall; it was from here that David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
launched his LibDems 4 Cameron campaign in December 2005. The seating in both venues can be dismantled to create open spaces for events such as the annual Craft Fair (in the Main House) and the Comedy or Folk
Folk
The English word Folk is derived from a Germanic noun, *fulka meaning "people" or "army"...
Club (in the Studio). Both the Main House and the Studio are sound proofed and are not linked structurally within the building, in order to eliminate sound conduction between the two. There is also a licenced Cafe-Bar which hosts a number of free events such as 'Jazz Cafe' (Saturday lunchtimes), 'Sunday Social' (Sunday afternoons) and 'Open Mike Night' (First Tuesday of the month).
Between 1998 and 2004 the centre received approximately 1.2 million visitors and in 1999 it was described as being an "ultra-cool, rigorously modern" building.
The Courtyard's patrons include Sir Derek Jacobi and Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
.