About the theatre

Rhosllannerchrugog, in the County of Wrexham, reputed to be the largest village in Wales, is notable for many reasons - the character and multitalented versatility of its people. its choirs , its close and independent community, its disdain for "town planning" and not least its Miners Institute. Affectionately known as the Stiwt it may be defined as a unique facility combining a state of the art theatre with a multi purpose Welsh cultural centre the true Heart of the Community

Goals

Built by the Miners Welfare Organisation who levied 1p a ton on extracted coal in the harsh years of the depression between 1924-26 at a cost of almost £18,000. It was supported and run on a daily basis by subscription of 2 pence per week from the meagre wages of our miner forefathers another £20,000. The Stiwt opened on 25th.September 1926, dominated the social and cultural life of the community for decades providing a cinema, theatre, concert hall , games rooms, a public library and multi function rooms. Mirroring the demise of the mining industry, the Stiwt closed its doors in 1977. Due to the concerted efforts of a small band of dedicated people sufficient funding has been raised over a 30 year period to refurbish the building to its former glory. Our vision remains to nurture and develop the creative, cultural and recreational aspirations of all people in the immediate vicinity and wider community of Wales by providing a first class venue for the performing arts and cultural activities to provide training and education for young people in the arts and creative activities and recreate the community spirit by uniting the generations.

Facilities

Now a Grade 2* listed building the imposing exterior is described as:- Inter-war baroque, in red brick with pale freestone dressings, a two storey five bay facade with advanced ends, a pulvinated frieze and a steep pyramidal roof crowned by a timber clock cupola with Ionic half columns. Entering the building imposes a sense of awe and splendour in the newly designed foyer area, restored (1999) to its former glory the fine galleried auditorium / theatre is decorated with much ornate plaster work all in keeping with the original drawings and decoration specifications. State of the art stage lighting, sound and flying facilities have been sympathetically blended in, along with a flexible seating arrangement providing a Theatre facility second to none in the Wrexham area. Numerous similarly restored, ancillary rooms, large and small, contribute to the enormous potential of the Stiwt as a centre for a wide range of regular cultural and community use. Commercial use for conferences, exhibitions, presentations, and T.V. programmes as well as weddings is well established.

Recent Refurbishment

Closed in 1976 it was considered for demolition in 1985 due to its condition, made worse by dry rot and ingress of rainwater through its vandalised roof. The loss of such facilities became the subject of several committees set up to raise funding for restoration from the early 1980’s with the eventual formation of the Stiwt Arts & Leisure Committee in 1988. It was this committee who took on the onerous task of not only raising sufficient capital funding but in practical terms organised a band of dedicated volunteers who chipped away at contaminated plaster and woodwork to rid the structure of rot and ancient fittings all within the constraints applied to a listed building.

The efforts of these volunteers was eventually recognised and rewarded by the awarding of a progression of substantial grants culminating in a £2.1 million Heritage Lottery Grant in 1996. The refurbished facilities at a total cost of £4.3 million, second to none in the area, were reopened for business in Sept.1999 under control of a limited Charitable trust known as The Stiwt Arts Trust Limited.

Financial Support

Currently the day to day running of the facility is funded by support from the Wrexham County Borough Council (Arts & Leisure Dept.) Rhos Community Council (Clerical support), the Arts Council of Wales (Programme and Manager Support), Landfill Tax (External Re-decoration) and the Friends raise and contribute £12,000 annually by monthly fund raising functions , a monthly lottery and annual subscription of £5 . The voluntary efforts of the friends in Stewarding, manning the Coffee Shop and assisting in the Maintenance of the structure was recently estimated as having a value of approx £30,000 per annum. Grant applications to several funding associations are under consideration to support continuing maintenance and replacement of the fabric and updating of facilities and equipment.

Management,Staffing and programme.

The facility is leased from the owners Wrexham County Borough Council by the Stiwt Arts Trust Limited. The Board consists of 11 members one of whom is nominated by W.C.B.C and another represents Rhos and Penycae C.C. Nominations for the Board come via the Friends of the Stiwt Executive Committee with three positions retiring annually. Board members bring a variety of skills conducive to the efficient management of the complex. Membership of the Friends is open to anyone by subscription at an annual fee of £5.

A New Genaral manager has just been appointed to manage the day to day affairs of the complex with input from the Board of Trustees, Company Secretary and officers of W.C.B.C.as required

The Board currently employs Full time, Technical Manager, Box office Clerk, part time Office Clerk, Accounts Clerk, 2 cleaner/caretaker and contract cleaners as required.

Programming is a mix of professional companies , local amateur organisations and professional and trade organisations who hire the facilities. The Professional programme and the post of Manager is supported by ACW grant. Professional joint inclusive programmes are produced to cover Autumn/Winter, Spring /Summer and the Wrexham Arts Festival periods at William Aston Hall and The Stiwt.. These are complemented by a quarterly brochure produced by the Stiwt. Distribution is approx 6~8,000 households by either direct mail, manual door to door or display and pickup . Specific Function Posters are distributed to approx 200 outlets throughout the area. Local press and media features are usually arranged for special events covering mainly North Wales, Chester and Salop areas. The venue is used extensively for Conferences by local and national organisations and has also featured in many national T.V. programmes.

How you can help.

We are seeking business partnership / sponsorship for our high profile professional and community performances and ongoing education training programmes. Please ask for details.