A NEAR £3million bid to breathe new life into a historic former Worcester church will be revealed later this month.
St Swithun’s Church will launch as ‘Sound and Art at St Swithun’s’ to the public on Saturday October 22.
The £2.8million project to repair and adapt the historic church was made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The public launch is free to enter and will feature family-friendly activities followed by an afternoon and evening of live music
St Swithun’s is a Grade I listed church in Worcester city centre. No longer used for regular worship, the building is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT). In 2019, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, work began on restoring the building ready for a major re-launch.
The seven-figure sum project aimed at conserving, repairing and adapting the building to create a distinctive venue for arts, music and a cultural space in the heart of Worcester. The impact and effects of COVID-19 delayed the project which was set to launch in 2021, but finally, Sound and Art at St Swithun’s is ready to open its doors to showcase the best in arts and music to the Worcester community and further afield.
The public launch will offer a jam-packed day of family activities and live performances.
From 11am to 3pm, the heritage learning team will be on-site to provide Georgian-themed family activities such as ‘make your own tricorn hat’, ‘decorate a Georgian pocket’, ‘learn a new language’, and ‘dress like a Georgian!’.
Then, from 3pm to 9.30pm there is an all-day session of live music featuring Lionhaire, Poppy WS, Chloe Mogg, Lucien Ralinoro, Hannah Law, 42 Worcester (Spoken Word) and DJ Dan Wall.
There will also be a licensed bar with refreshments and snacks and the event is free entry all day.
Ollie Lloyd, arts centre manager, said: “Our vision is to create a truly inspirational space, which will creatively use sound and art to engage, enthuse and inspire our visitors.
“Working with the local community and a diverse group of partners, we have ensured the future plans for the site are part of the wider cultural and heritage strategy for Worcester.
“We are delighted to be able to open our doors and welcome you to our beautiful Georgian church and experience everything we have to offer.”
For more information about Sound & Art at St Swithun’s, please visit www.worcesterstswithuns.org
