Hall For Cornwall (HFC) has secured a £2 million investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the last piece of public funding required to deliver a £20 million rebuild of its venue which will bring jobs, economic growth and world class culture to Cornwall.
The project will see the auditorium increase to 1,354 seats, enabling HFC to attract top West End productions, promote local talent and revitalise the night-time economy of Truro.
The LEP’s investment comes from the Government’s Local Growth Fund and will support the creation of 1156m2 of cutting edge workspace to nurture Cornwall’s booming creative industries sector. A creative tech hub will include support for post-graduates, new talent and start-up businesses to create a new digital and creative cluster. A further £2 million of European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) has already been secured for this element of the project.
Julien Boast, HFC’s CEO and creative director, said: “Cornwall deserves a theatre that will continue to inspire, educate and engage and bring the best productions in the country to Cornwall. The Growth Fund investment is further testimony to the confidence already shown in our ambitious plans.”
Emmie Kell, creative industries lead on the LEP board, added: “The creative economy is growing – it already employs 27,000 people in our region and we want to be the destination of choice for creative businesses. The LEP’s investment supports that ambition and fuses artistic heritage with a fast-growing tech sector so we can hothouse new businesses and quality jobs.”
Work to rebuild HFC will begin in July 2018 with the new building being unveiled 2020. During construction, HFC will host a series of open days to welcome the community to view the build’s progression.
Hall For Cornwall’s final performance will be June 2 with Cornwall’s prestigious community orchestra, The People’s String Foundation.
