One-year celebrations mark next phase of Piece Hall’s journey
THE PIECE Hall Trust is preparing to celebrate its first anniversary this week following a major transformation.
To mark the occasion, the heritage building in Halifax has announced its first patrons from the worlds of sports, art and culture.
The patrons include Halifaxborn paralympian Hannah Cockroft, who officially reopened The Piece Hall on August 1, 2017. She is joined by speaker and musician Paul Whitaker, Lord David Shutt of Greetland, former Beats International band member Lester Noel, actor and director Reece Dinsdale and DJ Graeme Park.
Since reopening, the Piece Hall has attracted 2.4m visitors, with more than 23,000 people attending the opening day. It has also created and hosted 67 days of flagship events including a Royal visit, the Tour de Yorkshire and the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of visitors and students have benefited from the interactive educational facilities on offer. The site has hosted more than 1,400 school visits, more than 9,200 family visits and conducted more than 2,400 guided tours.
Nicky Chance-Thompson, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, said: “After a very successful first year, I am really honoured to have attracted such an illustrious and diverse group of patrons who will help to support The Piece Hall in the next phase of its journey.
“Our vision of delivering a world-class destination is becoming a reality and there is no doubt that the combined efforts of ourselves, partners and the people of this town have all helped to put Halifax on the map.”
An afternoon tea party is planned for August 1 from noon.