Old School Project Update

June 13 2011

Old School Project Update

THE OLD PRIMARY SCHOOL: WHERE ARE WE NOW

 Just to remind you, this project will include:

·        A high-quality base for young people in the town (in the East Wing)

·        An arts and heritage centre;

·        Studios for artists and craftspeople, offices and workshops for businesses;

·        Parish Council and Development Trust offices under one roof.

The Building

Building work is now well underway. Our contractor, Bovey Construction, have been making excellent progress and we are on schedule and on budget.  Work on the roof is complete, with a raised link (to enable a lift to be fitted) and a new flat roof at the rear.  

Solar panels on the roof of the building will help us make sure that the building is as self-sustaining as possible and should enable us to claim the feed-in-tariff.  The new first floor in the west wing and upstairs lobby is complete and we have begun work on choosing the fixtures and fittings for the gallery and studios.  An exhibition designer will be contracted by the end of June to help us put together a permanent Heritage display.  Studio space is now already almost fully subscribed. General artist’s interpretations and plans illustrating the new building are available on the website at www.moretonhampstead.com and also displayed outside the property.

Arts

We now have a very active Arts Steering Group made up of artists and crafts from Moretonhampstead.  A gallery Selection Panel has also been formed and is being headed by well known Devon artist, Peter Randall-Page.  The Selection Panel is developing an ongoing programme of shows for the Gallery, whilst the Steering Group is also building a programme of education and community projects around the gallery activity.

The Old School Archive and Community Heritage Project

We have been successful in securing a Heritage Lottery Grant, in partnership with the History Society and MED Theatre.  This is to support the heritage aspects of the new centre including exhibitions and community workshops. We are running oral history training for volunteers, followed by a programme of community workshops, to help us develop the local archive and devise the permanent and temporary exhibitions.

On Saturday 25th June we are inviting people to come along to the Parish Hall between 2pm and 7pm to share their memories, photos and mementos of the old schools in Moretonhampstead. There will be exhibitions and refreshments on the day and we hope you will join us. The plan is to officially open the building in December, with the launch heritage and art exhibition which will focus on the old school.

A name for the new centre

You may like to know - after much consultation and deliberation – the Trust Board has made a decision on the name for the new centre and the building is to be called ‘Green Hill’.

 

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