Exciting new chapter for Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town

Ross Drury, Spun Glass Theatre’s Co-Creative Director alongside fellow director Dan Hutton, said: "We firmly believe that Stade Hall has great potential to contribute significantly to the cultural life of our town. Our primary focus is to reclaim the original intention for the hall as a vibrant community space.

"We also want to understand and respect the significance of Stade Hall's prominent location in the heart of the Old Town and its strong links with the fishing fleet community." "We are also honoured to take over management of the unique Classroom on the Coast kitchen space, and intend to maximise its potential for local groups and families.

"Stade Hall is already a very valuable and well-used space, and we will not only be honouring all existing bookings but will also be open to hearing ideas from the local community about how we can make the most of the space. We are already on the ground at the hall, and welcome anyone passing by to pop in and say hello.”

Spun Glass Theatre are committed to offering bookings at Stade Hall for free to residents of Hastings and St Leonards who would like to use the hall for non-commercial reasons when money doesn’t change hands, for example hosting a birthday party or a family gathering.

They also welcome bookings from local artists to use the space for shows, events, exhibitions, workshops and more.

To register interest to book they have set up an easy-to-use form and are also contactable by phone and email.

In a statement, founder Jessica Cheetham says; “We would like to express our gratitude to everyone in the community who has congratulated us and shown support for our proposals so far. We are thrilled to begin implementing our plans to use the hall as a space for theatre performances, drama, arts and crafts performances, live music events, exhibitions, cinema screenings, craft fairs, baby groups and as a venue for community hire.”

"Our commitment to the local community is a passionate and serious one. I'm a born and bred local, and Hastings and St Leonards is where our heart lies. It's where I live, and am raising my two young children. It's also where we established and funded our new baby-friendly theatre venue called the Mini Playhouse, which we have been running successfully for just over a year."

Spun Glass Theatre have always had an aim to encourage participation in arts from an early age and to improve well-being through community-led artistic activities and touring productions. The company is embedded in the Southeast art community, supporting emerging companies and artists to access funding and broker venue partnerships.

They opened Mini Playhouse in Hastings in 2022, after receiving substantial funding from the Arts Council England and running a successful crowdfunding campaign. To enquire about bookings for the Stade Hall and Classroom on the Coast, please email [email protected] or use the booking form, https://form.typeform.com/to/ihIt5rsf