2024 has been an exciting year for the Town Hall. Not only has our building been undergoing an extensive refurbishment, but we’ve also had the pleasure of working within the Trowbridge community to deliver a handful of events. Back in March we took to Emmanuel’s Yard for International Women’s Day, where we invited you to enjoy a panel discussion and film, plus refreshments from a range of local businesses. The event sold out, and it was heartwarming to see so many familiar faces.
This summer, we teamed up with Trowbridge Council to bring you the second Trowbridge Midsummer Festival. Over 2,500 people took to Trowbridge Park for live music, theatre and children’s activities, plus a whole host of food and drink stalls. The response we received from the community was incredible: “Thank you for organising”. . . “I felt proud to live in Trowbridge.”
Over the past year we were lucky enough to work with our exceptional community company to deliver our theatre outreach project, Hearts and Minds. The show, written by Saili Katebe, was performed at Emmanuel’s Yard over three days. We loved working with the company, and can’t wait to deliver more theatre in the coming years in our very own fully refurbished building.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful group of volunteers, who made all of these events possible. Without them, the Town Hall wouldn’t be where it is today.
Our Celebrate editorial team have been hard at work to bring you four issues of Celebrate, Trowbridge’s community paper. To everyone who’s written an article, we’d like to say a huge thank you. Here at Celebrate, we’re looking to build a team of community writers. If you’d like to get involved or for more information, please contact us here.
Here are our staff highlights from the past year:
Alan, Director: “My highlight this year has been to witness the brilliant team I work with growing in stature and confidence, whether delivering another exceptional theatre outreach project, navigating the vicissitudes of funding, or preparing us for the re-opening of the Town Hall next summer. Its difficult to imagine how much just four staff members have managed to achieve.”
Jess, Venue Manager: “Having just received the news that the building is fully watertight, I might have to say that’s my highlight of 2024! After countless days (and sometimes nights) spent by the team battling to protect the building from the elements, this milestone feels monumental. With many of the building-related challenges now behind us, we can fully channel our energy into transforming the old Town Hall into a space that truly serves the community—while also becoming a venue we can all be proud of.”
Tessa, Community Outreach Coordinator: “My highlight of 2024 has to be the incredible audiences who’ve joined us at our events. From celebrating International Women’s Day and Midsummer Festival to the recent community production Hearts and Minds, it’s been fantastic to see so many people supporting the Town Hall. I’m excited for what’s to come and can’t wait to see you all back in the building in 2025!”
Lucy, Finance Officer: “It’s been wonderful seeing the refurbishment works progress this year- gradually, reopening is getting closer and becoming more real. The Hearts & Minds production was a great example of what can be achieved by bringing together local people’s ideas & experiences, and I can’t wait to see more next summer at the Town Hall!”
Antonia, Marketing Assistant: “My highlight this year has been producing Celebrate, Trowbridge’s community paper. There are so many amazing things happening in our town, and I love being able to share this positive news with the people of Trowbridge. (Keep an eye out for issue 15, coming soon!)”
We hope you’ve all had a wonderful festive break, and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2025.
Warm wishes, the Trowbridge Town Hall Trust Team