The David Hall has been transformed - thanks to the Big Lottery! (From Yeovil Express)

The David Hall has been transformed - thanks to the Big Lottery!

10:00am Thursday 12th November 2009

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The interior of The David Hall, the performing arts centre in South Petherton, has been transformed.

An entirely new third level provides smart office accommodation as well a lighting control booth and shower facilities for artistes.

The cluttered old balcony is now a comfortable space for creative and leisure events and/or meetings. The stage has been raised and extended, while a disabled lift has been installed.

There are both new and modernised toilet facilities and the paintwork is gleaming to the rafters.

Petherton Arts Trust (PAT), owners of the Grade II Listed Building, threw the doors open for people of the village and supporters from far and wide last week to come and celebrate The David Hall's new look and facilities.

The majority of the work has been thanks to a grant of £50,000 from The Big Lottery Fund that was won at the end of last year through ITV's Peoples' Millions campaign.

The rest of it has been funded through the generosity of local people who have helped PAT to raise much-needed money to revamp the building.

Chairman of PAT, Tony Charman, said: “We saw people who have not been inside the David Hall for a long time, and who will see just what a great community facility the village has.

“For others, who know the place of old, they were able to see how much it has improved over the past 12 months.

“Importantly, we were able to listen to suggestions as to how we can make an even better contribution to the lives of people in South Petherton and nearby.”

Mike Hoskin, who was chairman of the group that established the David Hall as a performing arts centre in the 1980s, unveiled a plaque commemorating the Big Lottery Fund’s role in helping PAT to upgrade the facilities.

The David Hall fulfils the dual role of being both a local community facility - offering space for meetings, training sessions, parties, wedding receptions and so on - and an important venue for folk, blues and acoustic music that attracts many leading national and international names in those fields. Its more adaptable revamped interior will also position the David Hall as a premier performing arts and events venue in the South West. While Mr Charman is enjoying the developments the recent work achieved, he is aware that much more needs to be done for the David Hall to increase its professional status.

"Although we have achieved minor miracles over the past couple of years, we still have much to do and our fund raisers have been set the challenge of finding yet more money,” he said.

“Major projects still in hand include purchasing a new roller blind for the huge front window (£500) and then building the artistes’ shower room; installing folding doors on the balcony to provide a private, enclosed space when needed (£7,000); replacing all of the windows - many of which are arched and set in Hamstone (£10,000); new radiators (£5,000) and professional lighting and sound facilities (£30,000+). All of which means we shall be busy for some time to come.

"In the meantime, our New Year events programme is almost ready for publication and we shall be launching another tremendous season of quality entertainment from a venue that is becoming increasingly famous."

Details about the new Programme will also be posted on the David Hall website - www.thedavidhall.org.uk - as soon as tickets for 2010 events become available.

Click on the link in our "related articles" section for more info from the David Hall.

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