Theatre Royal Winchester’s Cafe Bar nominated for national award

Posted: 9th June 2020

 

The charity worked with Hampshire County Council’s Property Services team – the council’s multi-disciplinary in-house design team – to transform the theatre’s foyer into a more vibrant, inclusive and accessible space.  

 

The design team from Hampshire County Council remodelled the front of house areas into a smart contemporary new interior - designed to improve the flow of people through the building, create a more flexible space for different activities as well as creating a new Cafe Bar. The Cafe Bar was officially opened in September 2019 by Leader of Hampshire County Council, Keith Mans who declared that the new space should not only be the creative hub for Winchester but become the creative hub for Hampshire.

 

Deryck Newland, Chief Executive of Play to the Crowd, comments ‘We are thrilled with this nomination. It was a pleasure working with the council’s fantastic design team and we are delighted that their efforts have been recognised in this way.’

 

Deryck continues ‘The Cafe Bar project was the final piece in the jigsaw following our extensive rebrand which included renaming the charity that runs the theatre and Hat Fair, Play to the Crowd and bringing to the forefront all the work that we do with our local community and schools by creating its own brand – Playmakers. The new look foyer and Cafe Bar has been extremely well received by our audiences. Our thanks go to Hampshire County Council for their hard work, skills and imagination.’

 

Councillor Keith Mans, said: “Our Property Services team continues its excellent standing in the architectural and property sectors for its award-winning designs and constructions. We want our buildings to be the very best spaces in which our residents can thrive when they learn, meet and collaborate. We take great care not only to ensure the buildings are sustainable and efficient to run, but also of high quality.” 

 

The project was supported by a Hampshire County Council grant of £375,000, plus support from the Foyle Foundation, the Backstage Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Hobson Charity and Nadine and David Collinson.

SPACES is a collaborative multi-disciplinary organisation for building professionals working in and for the public sector. 

 

The theatre and its Cafe Bar are temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is having a significant financial impact on the charity and its mission to delight and unite through the power of live performance. The public are able to support the charity at this time by becoming Members of Play to the Crowd, making a donation or by purchasing for future productions at Theatre Royal Winchester. For further information visit www.playtothecrowd.co.uk.