Background to the Dereham Memorial Hall and its refurbishment
The Memorial Hall is a grade II listed building. It was built as a high class carriage factory around 200 years ago, around 100 years ago it was converted into a cinema and then in the 1930s a swimming pool and dance hall as well as a cinema. At the end of World War II, it was purchased by the East Dereham Urban District Council for use as a memorial to the dead of the two world wars. It has changed little since conversion into a cinema, the main improvements being the addition of bar and kitchen in the early 1960s.
The Hall can currently seat 360 people for theatre shows which makes it a medium sized theatre larger than Norwich Playhouse, Kings Lynn Arts Centre and the Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal. It has the advantage over these venues that the chairs can be removed and activities can take place on the flat floor making it popular as a community venue.
The Memorial Hall has in all its guises formed an important cultural centre for the town and surrounding areas. There are few people who have been brought up in the town who do not have fond memories of attending activities at the Hall.
The building’s last major refurbishment was in 1949. Various additions, improvements and minor repairs have been carried out since then, but the building has now reached the point where major refurbishment is required otherwise it will have to close. Closure would be a great loss to the cultural landscape of Dereham and mid-Norfolk. A refurbishment provides an opportunity to address additional needs identified in various consultations and strategies, thus improving and developing the cultural landscape of Dereham and the surrounding area.
The Project aims
The aim of the project is to enhance Dereham as a place to live, work and locate a business in, improving the quality of life in the town by developing the social and cultural opportunities it provides. This will be achieved through the delivery of the following objectives:
- Extending the role of the Hall as a live performance venue
- Increasing the availability of community meeting rooms
- Increasing the number of people attending cultural events in the town
- Increasing cultural opportunities for young people
- Extending the Hall’s use as an arts centre
- Enhancing the position of the Hall as a memorial to the men and women of Dereham who have died on active service since 1914
Enabling these activities to continue on a financially sustainable basis requires the achievement of two further objectives:
- Enhancing the potential for generating income from commercial lettings (conferences, weddings etc)
- Making the building a flag-ship for sustainable and low carbon operation
The project has two phases: a capital phase and an ongoing revenue phase.
The capital phase will see the existing grade II listed building fully refurbished and extended with the façade restored to how it would have looked when first built. The extension will see the floor area increased by 50% and the number of possible meeting spaces increased from 1 to 3.
Once the refurbishment is complete, the venue will become a community and cultural centre for Dereham and surrounding areas, which will offer the following improved and additional facilities:
- An art gallery and workshop area
- Bar/cafe
- An improved multi-purpose large hall with facilities for: a 300 seat theatre, cinema, conference venue and community events using either a flat floor or raked seating.
- An improved Kitchen
- Small multipurpose meeting room for 50-60 people
- Upgraded stage lighting and sound infrastructure to professional standard
- Cutting edge low carbon heating system
- Additional changing rooms
- Office space for programme manager
- Retractable raked seating
- New toilets
- New reception area
- New secret link to Dereham Operatic Society’s premises
- New memorial to war heroes
Following on from the capital refurbishment, there will be a three year revenue project to promote the Hall as a live performance venue.