Chesterfield Theatres is working hard to protect and make improvements to the Pomegranate Theatre and Winding Wheel Theatre which are owned and run by Chesterfield Borough Council.
Projects below have been made possible by funding from Chesterfield Borough Council, the Arts Council England National Lottery Fund, Chesterfield Theatre Friends and the Theatre Restoration Levy through which supporters can donate.
Big Plans for Memorial Hall (current project)
Plans to create a modern and extended customer experience at the Stephenson Memorial Hall - which houses Chesterfield's Pomegranate Theatre and Museum - are at the heart of the council's successful bid for almost £20m of Government funding to further boost Chesterfield town centre and enhance the town's cultural offer.
The council's Levelling Up Fund award allocates £11m towards the costs of a £15.6m project to remodel and refurbish Chesterfield’s 'striking' Stephenson Memorial Hall.
Find out the latest Memorial Hall news.
Investing in the Winding Wheel to improve customer experience (2018)
In July 2018 work began on transforming the Winding Wheel Theatre’s main entrance foyer and modernising some facilities inside the venue.
The project which cost £745,000 was funded with a contribution of approximately £445,000 from the Chesterfield Theatres Restoration Fund, and a further £300,000 from Chesterfield Borough Council.
One of the key improvements included extending the main foyer into the former opticians shop next door. The attractive new foyer area includes a new bar called Stage Bar which incorporates an information and ticket collection point. The new area provides an improved experience for customers before, during and after shows and for people attending conferences and other functions at the Winding Wheel Theatre.
The improvements also included new toilet facilities on the ground floor and the refurbishment of all customer toilets within the venue, including the ballroom toilets. The auditorium and the ballroom were also redecorated as part of the work.
Investing to expand entertainment opportunities at both theatres (2014)
In May 2014, the Pomegranate Theatre and Winding Wheel Theatre underwent a redevelopment costing more than £700,000 which was completed in September 2014.
The theatres received £495,000 from Arts Council England’s National Lottery-funded capital programme to fund the improvements, with a further £250,000 coming from the council.
Work carried out at the Pomegranate Theatre included:
- New digital cinema equipment to show live broadcasts of performances from around the world
- Refurbishing the existing 546 seats and adding 43 new seats to the stalls
- Replacing the carpets in the foyer and auditorium and redecorating the front of house areas
- Replacing the existing lighting and control booths in the stalls and adding an audio description room to improve the experience of performances for people with visual impairment.
Work carried out at the Winding Wheel Theatre included:
- Increasing the power supply to three times the previous limit to allow the venue to stage more large-scale productions such as the West End touring productions
- Installing a new fixed stage with an automatic stage extension allowing bigger productions on the stage
- Installing a new lighting rig
- Adding a new stage door and dressing room, as well as improving access to the stage for performers with limited mobility l Installing new moveable seating in the auditorium.