Pavilions Teignmouth gets ready for official opening

An official opening date for the £5million new Pavilions Teignmouth has been announced for Monday 4 April.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 3pm and will be carried out by Teignbridge District Council’s Leader Cllr Jeremy Christophers and Margaret Davidson, Chair of the Pavilions Board of Trustees. This will launch a month of diverse arts activities showcasing all the centre can deliver and the best of local talent.

Cllr Jeremy Christophers, Leader of Teignbridge District Council, said: “Teignbridge is delighted to officially open Pavilions Teignmouth.

“The council’s long-term aim has been to regenerate Teignmouth by providing a new building that will become a magnet for cultural activity and a centre for enterprise that encompasses arts, exhibition space and business.

"Ably supported by officer expertise, Teignbridge took the brave decision to embark on this project at a time the economy was contracting. Teignbridge’s financial commitment, along with the grant funding from the Coastal Communities Fund and Arts Council England, allowed the project to move at pace. It’s wonderful to see this building open, with lots of people already enjoying everything it has to offer.

“A venue of this quality should not only deliver for local productions, but also attract national performances. We hope people from all over the South West will come to see what Pavilions Teignmouth has to offer.

Pavilions Teignmouth provides a community arts and enterprise centre that will benefit Teignmouth and Teignbridge as a whole by developing and supporting the arts in all their forms.

Margaret Davidson, Trustee Chair, added: “We have a great programme for April with cinema, live productions, music, comedy, children’s entertainment, dancing and visual arts. Our vision is to place Pavilions Teignmouth at the heart of our community, collaborate with other arts groups to complement the thriving arts scene in the town, work with volunteers and help support local enterprise.”

The centre has been funded by £2.5million from Teignbridge District Council, £1.75million funding from the Coastal Communities Fund and £537,430 from Arts Council England.

The key to the building is the flexible use of all space. The 218-seat auditorium can be used for cinema or productions with retractable seating allowing the space to be available for conferences, weddings, dances and other activities as well. The sprung floor dance studio can also be used for meetings and smaller activities. The whole building acts as a gallery for art work with pieces scattered throughout.

The cafe bar facility has both ground floor and first floor terraces to enjoy views of the sea and The Den. There are also eight work ‘hubs’, with six already let to local firms, one available to hire as a meeting room and one still available to let. The centre has directly created over 20 local jobs and a further 50 will be created in the wider area over the coming months.

Visit Pavilions Teignmouth website www.pavilionsteignmouth.org.uk