The fascinating past of one of Cornwall’s most iconic buildings is being brought to life through a new digital archive.

People can now delve into an online collection of more than 800 artefacts, which document the history of Hall for Cornwall in Truro. The archive and will be launched during a day of family-friendly activities at the Hall on St Piran’s Day, March 5.

Posters, handbills, rare photographs, drawings, oral histories, films, animations, plus historical objects, including a set of leg irons and a mid-20th century mayoral ruff, are all included in the online archive. It is part of the Hall’s History & Heritage project, Revealing City Hall, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Each item helps to tell the story of a 175-year-old building that has been used as cattle market, rifle range, skating rink, and jail in its past lives before becoming the leading performing arts venue it is today, following a three-year £26m transformation.

Hall for Cornwall’s online heritage site will be launched on St Pirans Day (Saturday, March 5), against a backdrop of creative workshops and activities taking place from 11am to 6pm.

The Mayor and Truro’s Town Crier will be at the event, which will include animations, spoken word, theatre and dance performances.

One of the key highlights will be a self-guided story trail, using 10, 30cm-wide bronze, copper and porcelain works of art embedded into the floor of the Hall for Cornwall building. Each one has its own unique QR code to allow visitors to find out more about these ‘storypoints’.

Helen Tiplady, deputy creative director at Hall for Cornwall, said: “We’re very much looking forward to sharing our history with as many people as possible.

“This incredible digital collection brings the stories within these walls alive. It’s a unique way for the public to be able to explore the fabric and history of this much-loved building and we hope people will come along to our range of fun activities on Saturday March 5th and find out more.”

The Hall for Cornwall heritage archive includes many items that have been hidden for decades, as well as personal testimonies from locals who worked in the building - or had a life changing moment there.

In one account, Josie Hockings describes how she met her future husband at a City Hall dance in 1958 when she was 16-years-old.

In the document, called Memories of Courting at City Hall, Josie says: “…this gorgeous man came in through the door of City Hall and later in the evening, when he asked me if I wanted to dance, I said ‘do I?’ Our first dance was a quickstep. He was tall, and handsome too. We courted for three years before I married him.”

Other pieces include a photograph of a group of young dancers in Mevagissey taking part in the community campaign in the early 1990s, calling for a permanent performing arts venue in Cornwall. Hall for Cornwall opened its doors a few years later in 1997.

Research for the Hall for Cornwall heritage collection has been conducted at local and national archives and picture libraries, including Kresen Kernow and the Royal Cornwall Museum.

The collection – which has been three years in the making - continues to grow and has been made possible thanks to a generous award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Find out more here.

Come along on March 5th to find out more

Hall for Cornwall is launching its heritage story with a special event on St Piran’s Day, Saturday, March 5. A series of dance performances, pop-up workshops and activities will take place throughout the day, which runs from 11am until 6pm. Most activities are in the Hall’s café and bar spaces, and some on Lemon Quay, weather permitting.

Highlights include performances from:

Continuum Dance Company, based on Hall for Cornwall’s Alan Kitching Performance Timeline artwork in The Green Café.
The All Boys Dance youth company. The group will be using Hall for Cornwall’s heritage collection as their starting point.
Hall for Cornwall youth and junior dance companies (three groups ranging from 6-18 years). The performances will take inspiration from an element in the collection.

Also included in the day’s programme:

Performances by four of Hall for Cornwall’s youth theatre groups, showcasing the venue’s heritage detectives, who help visitors discover some crazy facts about the building, including a reimagined Suffragette story.
Pop up dance and theatre performances by Suzie West and Emily Faulkner, based on the prolific Thomas Sisters, Truro’s most notorious petty criminals.
Dan Richards and Char Bister will perform a selection of contemporary poems, based on the building. And they will read sections from Chris Warner and Sarah Smith’s book, based on the first iteration of Hall for Cornwall. They will also be giving a talk and taking part in a book signing.
Drop-in workshops with Wild Sea Calligraphy and Emily Juniper, making small, printed books and art work to take home.
A virtual reality heritage tour with fly through drone technology.
Hall for Cornwall’s story points trails, plus heritage films and slide shows.

Throughout the day, Hall for Cornwall’s team will be on hand to show visitors the online collection.

The team at Hall for Cornwall has put together a list of their top ten favourite items from the heritage archive:

1. A poster for the Truro Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society presentation of Fools Rush in, 1961 (2021:004)

2. A photograph of The Mayor of Truro (Mr H. Trewhella) reading the official Proclamation of the Queen's accession outside the Town Hall, 6th February 1952 (2019:2)

3. A gathering of the male chorus on stage in Carousel, produced by Mavis Ward for Truro Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society, 1958 (2020:10)

4. A dance scene from the 1958 production of Carousel by Truro Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society at City Hall (2020:13)

5. Another poster detailing the forthcoming run of Babes In The Wood, the 'Magnificent Gala Christmas Pantomime'. C 1920-1945

6. Gillian Hall models in a charity fashion show held in City Hall, c.1960-75[

7. A group of young dancers from the youth programme campaign for a Hall For Cornwall in Mevagissey Harbour c 1992-4 (2020:163)

8. A poster advertising the Truro Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society performance of The Lisbon Story, 1949 (2021:036)

9. A black and white photograph of Lemon Quay as seen from Lemon Bridge in 1905. A docked boat is the focus of the image although visible in the background is a horse and cart as well as the original facade of City Hall and surrounding buildings. Also visible in the far distance is Truro school standing on the hill (2021:307)

A black and white photograph of the view from Back Quay during the early stages of filling in works. Visible in the background is the original facade of City Hall and surrounding buildings. Lemon bridge is also visible in the distance (2021:309)

10. A photograph from a music event at City Hall, c. 1993-94 (2021:324)

History of Hall for Cornwall comes alive with launch of new digital archive