A new community venue has opened in Newport city centre. The Tin Shed Theatre Co has moved into the former post office on Bridge Street, a building owned by Newport City Homes.
The social landlord is a partner in the group’s Arts Council Wales project The People Are The City that led to the creation of The Place, a multi-functional arts and social space.
Now the theatre group has been given £2,390 from Newport City Homes’ community benefits scheme. They are working with Umbra Building Services to build 18 one and two-bedroom apartments in Upper Dock Street with commercial units on the ground floor, a few minutes’ walk away from The Place. The company wanted to support a local project so used the landlord’s community benefits scheme to make the donation.
George Harris, co-founder of Tin Shed Theatre Co, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the funding and support offered by Newport City Homes for this ambitious project of redevelopment at The Place.
“The money has enabled us to work with local artists and artisans to offer the front of the building a bright and vibrant face lift. We worked alongside Oleana Creates, a Newport woodwork artist that hand crafted the planters and much of the interior furniture from recycled wood and Molly Hawkins, a mural artist who gave the building the ‘pop’ it needed.
“Our planters are now the home to perennial plants and wildflowers that will attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to support bringing nature back to urban environments, reducing Co2 emissions and reminding people that everyone should have access to nature. This project is now working in conjunction with our wellbeing space and seeks to build an army of urban gardeners.
“We feel inspired by what The Place has to offer Newport and its people, by offering safe and inclusive spaces for people to be, we can build a more socially cohesive city.
“Our huge thanks goes to Newport City Homes and Umbra for supporting this vision.”
Graham Kuhlmann, senior project manager for Umbra Building Services, said: “Whenever we are working on a site we always try and do some extra work in the local community. I enjoyed visiting The Place to meet the team and see what a difference our donation has made.”
Paul Clark, development manager at Newport City Homes, said: “We are in the process of reimagining and supporting Newport’s city centre. This strategic purchase of the old post office will allow us in future years to think differently about how this area of town can be developed.
“The inclusion of Tin Shed’s amazing energy into what is now The Place will go some way to redefining the area with good positive energy. The street art has already created a real buzz and makes the area much more inviting to how visitors and residents see the city.”
Photo caption
(l to r) Naomi Underwood from Tin Shed Theatre Co, Graham Kuhlmann from Umbra, and Peter Page from Newport City Homes outside The Place