Pound Arts is a registered charity (charity number 1102787), limited by guarantee. We run The Pound arts centre, based in Corsham, two annual festivals and the Rural Arts touring programme, which comprises the rural touring schemes for Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire.
Our mission:
‘Connecting people through creativity’.
Our Vision:
‘For the communities in our region to be engaged with breathtaking artistic experiences regardless of their background or circumstances. To be a creative catalyst and a place of refuge, discovery and nourishment for the public and artists alike. To maintain and grow a sustainable flagship arts provision across the region that acts as a model for excellent work that engages the soul, stimulates the mind and entertains the spirit of our communities.
Our Values:
– Artistic Excellence championed across a broad range of art forms.
– Creativity through developing and supporting artists
– Social Responsibility by fostering respect for diversity and community cohesion
– Inclusion by stripping down barriers to engagement
You can contact us by telephone, (01249) 701 628, or by email, [email protected].
The Pound is a welcoming and vibrant venue in the centre of Corsham with a 100-seat auditorium, and exhibition space, cafe bar, parking and baby-friendly facilities. The centre also includes rehearsal and workshop spaces, studios housing three resident visual artists and a community workshop.
Blue Sky Festival is a joyous warm, quirky, family festival of the arts in June.
Magic and Mayhem festival is a contemporary blend of illusion, glamour, laughter, oddities and imagination in November.
Rural Arts Touring. Pound Arts works in partnership with volunteer promoters in up to 60 villages across Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire to stage around 40 professional performances and 20 participatory arts events every year.
Our Creative Learning department delivers education and outreach projects across the region, working to connect people through the arts.
The Pound Arts team are an eclectic bunch of passionate professionals.
Russ Tunney
Director
Jonathan Mansfield
Deputy Director, Marketing & Operations
Martin Campbell
Deputy Director, Programming
Helen Dilly
Creative Learning Officer
Mike Williams
Marketing Officer
Chris Moore
Finance Officer
Melissa Pictor
Venue Assistant
Josie
Café Bar Supervisor, Good Girl
Helen Lorton
Café Bar Manager
Anna Harriott
Programmer
Katie Ackrill
Visual Arts Coordinator
Libby Forsyth
Box Office Duty Manager
Pound Arts offers three-year residencies and support and exposure to musicians and visual artists in order for them to make their work in the heart of Corsham.
Lewis Clark
Musician
Combining a virtuosic blend of honed lyricism with the distinct artistry of a folk and blues musician, Lewis’ music makes for a unique melange that strikes of honesty and a by-gone era. www.lewisclark.co.uk
Rachel Heard
Visual Artist
Rachel's work is inspired by natural forms and phenomena, based on an intuitive response in colour and composition. Exploring a variety of paint and techniques, Rachel aims to gain a depth of colour and texture, searching for organic pattern. www.rachelheard.com/rachelheardabout.html
Caroline Rudge
Visual Artist
Caroline's subversive and humorous portraits combine time honoured techniques with postmodern sensibilities. Playing with the notion of traditional portraiture, her striking paintings juxtapose the classic with the contemporary. www.carolinerudge.com/
The Last Baguette
Theatre Company
The Last Baguette makes fast-paced, irreverent physical comedy. We are company in residence at Pound Arts, Corsham and tour to theatres, rural touring venues and arts centres across the country. We have performed in the UK, France, Switzerland and Canada. www.thelastbaguette.com
Clare Winnan
Sculptor and Upholsterer
Clare Winnan uses sculpture and installation, to create seductive but disturbing works that draw on the tensions between often delicate objects and their more sinister underlying messages. www.axisweb.org/p/clarewinnan/
The Auditorium, Rehearsal Room, Studio (The Gale Curry Studio), Meeting Room, Music Pods and Community Workshop are all available to hire for a wide range of events and different sized groups. Contact the box office ([email protected]) for more information.
Auditorium (max 128)
Prices from £20-per-hour. Please contact us to hire: [email protected]
Rehearsal Room
Prices from £16-per-hour. Please contact us to hire: [email protected]