Plan to restore old library to public use
Corn Exchange bids to convert former Prezzo to learning centre
THE Corn Exchange, working closely with Greenham Trust, has put in a planning application to West Berkshire Council for the change of use of the former Prezzo building in Cheap Street that has been empty since 2018.
It is an exciting development for the town centre arts organisation, which has for some time been searching for new premises to house its learning and participation activities arm, after it moved out of the former Barclays bank site in Market Place when the lease expired.
Hogan’s has temporarily given it space to continue its activities in Bartholomew Street.
The former Prezzo building was originally a library and, subject to planning, could be restored to public use.
At this stage, basic plans have been submitted and can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3bc0QIR
In its design, access and heritage statement, the Corn Exchange says: “The proposal seeks the change of use to provide a performing arts studio and theatre, learning centre, foyer lounge and associated office and back of house spaces, creating a purpose-built dedicated studio theatre and a permanent home for the learning centre where the activities of the Corn Exchange Trust take place.
“The vision is to provide a multi-functional space which promotes learning, health and wellbeing through theatre play.”
The learning centre facilitates local engagement and will benefit those who are socially isolated and socially or economically deprived, through cultural engagement to improve both physical and mental health and wellbeing.
This area of work is key to the Corn Exchange’s role as a cultural organisation at the heart of its community.
Engagement with its cultural activities are a vital lifeline to many, from older people who are at risk of social isolation and families who are socially and economically deprived, as well as young people who are seeing a dramatic decline in arts provision at school.
The Corn Exchange is also at the forefront of supporting the development of social prescribing in the local area, finding routes for GPs and the NHS to offer cultural engagement to improve both physical and mental health and wellbeing.
In 2019, Corn Exchange-led activities saw attendances of 27,535 over the duration of the year.
Courses range from parent and toddler music sessions to dance for people living with Parkinson’s disease, as well as a thriving youth theatre programme, which is attended by more than 150 young people every week.
The proposed studio theatre will allow for a larger audience capacity, but limited to a maximum of 120 people at any one time.
Supporting artists is a vital part of the Corn Exchange’s work and artistic programming is driving and supporting the trust’s audience development ambitions (its live programme currently performs at 76 per cent capacity).
The Corn Exchange is confident that with a new town centre studio it will have the right experience to be able to generate further programme opportunities and a variety of ways to support an even greater number of artists to take both artistic and financial risks and develop new audiences.
The Corn Exchange is also excited by the opportunities to promote the relationship between artists and participants and the intrinsic impact of locating the Learning Centre within the same building as the new studio and theatre.