Newbury: Business park to have new £1.7m arts centre and cafe
A new £1.7 million visual arts gallery, makers’ studios and café facility will open in spring 2018, and replace the ageing, prefabricated New Greenham Arts building on Greenham Business Park, Newbury. Located by the entrance of the business park, the new arts facility will become a central hub, providing a home to some of the finest artists and makers in the country.
The purpose-built visual arts and craft complex will allow Greenham Common Trust and the Corn Exchange to establish a new destination venue for the district, attracting visitors to the area.
In addition to the new state-of-the-art facility, the Corn Exchange will also launch a dedicated Learning Centre for its participatory arts programme in the centre of Newbury. This will increase the range of arts activities for the local community and its central location will provide easier access for residents and those taking part.
The Learning Centre will be launched in September 2017 with an extended programme of cultural and creative activities enabling the Corn Exchange to work with over 18,000 people every year. The programme will include new activities for under 5s, as well as a home-base for the venue’s Ageing Creatively programme for people aged 55 and over.
“We’re delighted to be able to offer financial support for these exciting new projects which will benefit those living in Newbury and the wider community,” commented Chris Boulton, chief executive for Greenham Common Trust. He continued: “The town centre development will allow the Corn Exchange to seek significant national funding in order to support the increased activities provided by the venue. This is good news for residents, artists, community groups and for local businesses as we attract more visitors to our town. It will put Newbury firmly on the map as one of the UK’s leading visitor attractions for the arts.”
Greenham Common Trust was founded in 1997 to purchase the former Greenham Common Airbase, and to create and manage the new 150-acre Greenham Business Park. The Trust’s principal objective is to use income from commercial property to provide charitable funding for the benefit of the local communities in West Berkshire and North Hampshire.
