Children's theatre in Hastings gets major funding grant

Spun Glass Theatre is an award-winning theatre production company that currently runs the Stade Hall, in Hastings Old Town, and the Mini Playhouse at White Rock.

Co-Creative Directors Ross Drury and Dan Hutton explained: “We run the Stade Hall and the Mini Playhouse. Spun Glass Theatre is a Hastings based theatre company that centres on cultural activities for early years. We make plays for children and parents and run a range of workshops for children.

"The Mini Playhouse is our amazing children’s theatre just opposite the Source Park on the seafront. In there we have a sensory cloud ceiling theatre and a workshop space for early years activity. we wanted a space that could host audiences for children’s theatre in the best possible way in a safe environment. For us it is about creating a destination point for parents, children and families.

This funding from the National Lottery and the Arts Council Englandis an amazing opportunity for us, and it means that we will soon be able to open up the Mini Playhouse to young families, in the Hastings and St Leonards area for free more frequently this year.

“It will allow us to open up the Mini Playhouse five days a week in the afternoons for free. We will be working with multiple children’s practitioners to carry out some exciting playful work and to make sure it is accessible for everybody. We hope to start these sessions after Easter, so please do make sure you sign up to our mailing lists or follow us on social media for more details and date announcements."

“Stade Hall is home to lots of events and workshops, and has hosted everything from craft fairs and photography exhibitions to family raves and belly dancing classes. Classroom on the Coast is a cookery school space and is also situated in the Stade Hall, which was built to host seafood cookery workshops in support of our local fishing community. It can also be used for other cooking events such as sourdough bread-making classes and food tasting evenings.

“One of our charitable aims is to make the Stade Hall a space that contributes to families in Hastings. If you have a family gathering or birthday and you want to use the Stade Hall, you can use it for free if it is available at the time.

You can find out more about what is happening at Spun Glass Theatre by visiting their website www.spunglasstheatre.com or following their social media pages @spunglasstheatre . If you would like to use the Stade Hall or the Mini Playhouse you can email [email protected].

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