PRESS RELEASE
2 September 2014
Immediate release
Contact rich@halfmoon.org.uk for any enquiries
Heritage Lottery Fund support Half Moon in celebrating
20 years in their newly renovated 150 year-old home
Half Moon are delighted to announce receipt of a £9,500 grant from Heritage Lottery Fund towards a season of
celebrations this autumn, under the banner #LimehouseLandmark – celebrating the many stages of Half Moon’s
home’.
The project will research the heritage of Half Moon's Victorian East London home, exploring the collections at
Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives. #LimehouseLandmark will take place during autumn 2014 and
will include guided tours of the building and immediate local area, an exhibition about the building’s many
community roles during its 150 years, family storytelling sessions, performances by all five of its Youth Theatres, a
photographic exhibition in the theatre gallery and many more free events for all the family. Half Moon will also be
participating in Open House London on 20 & 21 September for the first time ever; tours of the building will be run
every half hour, and free art and craft activities for children will be laid on in the foyer.
43 White Horse Road was opened as Limehouse Board of Works in 1864 and since then has been used for many
different purposes, most recently as Half Moon Theatre since 1994. In 2012, following a fundraising campaign,
Half Moon re-shaped and refurbished the front of house areas of the theatre and in 2013, a grant from Arts
Council England Lottery allowed the company to restore the beautiful Victorian façade, with work due to be
completed in August 2014. #LimehouseLandmark will be a fitting celebration of the important role this historic
building plays in the community.
Chris Elwell, Director of Half Moon commented: “Our local community are our inspiration and I can therefore
think of no better way to be celebrating 20 years in our beautifully refurbished 150 year-old home, than with this
season of free events and activities for everyone. I would like to extend my thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund
who are generously supporting #LimehouseLandmark, without whom this season would not have been possible.”
Half Moon’s autumn season of professional plays with thirteen productions for all ages will run alongside
#LimehouseLandmark events.
ENDS
#LimehouseLandmark event listings:
Around Half Moon by David Mott
Gallery @ Half Moon
5 September – 2 January
During the year, we display an impressive range of work, suitable for all ages. The art gallery is free to visit and is
open during the theatre opening hours, with all work affordably priced. Beneath the artwork, there are
chalkboards for visitors to make their own responses.
Around Half Moon offers a stunning collection of photography, headlining with a series of images of our newly
refurbished building. The exhibition also includes beautiful vistas from our roof over East London with views of
some of London’s iconic landmarks, as well as striking flora, birds and scenic photography.
For all our exhibitions, we provide an art trail for children to complete and special events. School and community
groups can visit free of charge by pre-booking and can use our gallery trail to support Arts Award Discover and
Explore.
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#LimehouseLandmark Season Opening
Sat 27 September 11am – 4pm
You’re invited to a day of special events celebrating the history of Half Moon’s beautiful Victorian building, which
opened as Limehouse Board of Works 150 years ago. In 2014, Half Moon are also celebrating the building’s 20
years as a young people’s theatre by bringing together all of the stories of the building’s heritage to share with
the local community. The day’s activities will include guided tours around the building and local area, and we will
be showcasing the many different art forms we offer at Half Moon.
11am – 3.30pm: Art and craft activities
11am: Performance of Up in the Attic
12noon: Official ribbon cutting by Rushanara Ali MP
12.15pm – 12.45pm: Street Dance workshop
12.30pm: Historical guided walk
12.45pm – 1.15pm: Music workshop
1.30pm: Historical guided walk
2pm: Performance of Up in the Attic
3pm: Historical guided walk
Supported by Tower Hamlets Events Fund.
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#LimehouseLandmark
Autumn Half Term
Saturday 1 November 11am – 5pm
A group of people from the local community will research the many stages of our #LimehouseLandmark, curating
a special retrospective exhibition with maps, old newspaper cuttings and photos, brought to life with free family
storytelling sessions, with tales from the building’s 150 year history. There will also be a chance for visitors to
contribute their own memories of the building’s many stages. Other activities include dressing up in historical
costumes and a special Time Machine photo-booth.
10am – 5pm: #LimehouseLandmark Exhibition
11am: Performance of The Story Giant
1pm & 2pm: Storytelling sessions for families
3pm: Performance of The Story Giant
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#LimehouseLandmark Finale event
Sat 6 Dec 11am – 3.30pm
The finale event celebrates the history of #LimehouseLandmark. Throughout the autumn, Half Moon’s Youth
Theatre groups will explore different eras from the history of 43 White Horse Road. Their final performances will
be a collection of specially devised pieces covering the spectrum of the building’s many stages.
11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm & 3pm:
Site specific performances from Lunar Youth Theatre around the building.
Performances by Youth Theatres in the auditorium:
11.30am: Sunbeam
12.30pm: Solar
1.30pm: Moonbeam
2.30pm: Eclipse
Further Information about Half Moon
Half Moon is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting young people at every stage of
their creative development. Working from our base in Limehouse and throughout the community in Tower
Hamlets, we make a big impact on the lives of young people. Our work reaches nearly 50,000 people annually and
engages those who are often excluded from arts activity. Our activity includes a season of professional plays for
young audiences, national touring productions and an extensive creative learning programme, including five
youth theatres. We receive regular funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and are a National
Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England.
Further Information about Heritage Lottery Fund
Sharing Heritage is for any not-for-profit group wanting to explore their community’s heritage. With a
commitment from HLF of £3m each year, Sharing Heritage grants between £3,000 and £10,000 are not available
to groups who want to discover their local heritage.
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting
difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From
museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in
every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported almost 35,000 projects with more than £3.5bn across the
UK. www.hlf.org.uk
Notes to Editors
For further information or to arrange interviews, photographs and press tickets please contact Rich Matthews on
020 7709 8907 or rich@halfmoon.org.uk
For press enquiries please contact: Rich Matthews
Communications & Development Manager
rich@halfmoon.org.uk
020 7709 8907