The Centre – coming soon

For a town so full of artists, dancers, poets, musicians, makers, writers and actors, Totnes is curiously short of an arts centre.

Next month – in fact from 9am on November 1st – the town will have a new space which, while not a fully fledged theatre, will provide a home for performers and practitioners – and patrons.
It is called Centre and is owned and run by serial cafe entrepreneur Harriet Thomas, who spotted the potential of the old language school above Greenlife. “I make spaces for people,” she told me while giving me a sneak peek inside the large airy room which she’s transforming.

I love this town with a passion.

Harriet already owns two cafes in Richmond in London, where she grew up, but was smitten by the Totnes vibe 15 years ago. She’d heard about it on the alternative grapevine. “I came with my daughter looking seriously for somewhere to open and we walked through the market and both looked at each other and we knew this was the place. I love this town with a passion.”

 

So she entrusted her London businesses to her “wonderful” staff and opened Zappa’s vegan cafe next to St Mary’s and, so far, it’s going well.

Harriet is aware though that passion doesn’t pay the bills and acknowledges that opening another cafe in a town not underserved by coffee shops is a gamble. The recent very sad closure of The Angel is a case in point. And the bricks and mortar end of Salago – probably the town’s longest running and most fondly remembered clothing and toy business, shows how tough the retail climate is right now. (It is going online instead).

“People tell me there is no money in the arts and there’s certainly no money in cafes at the moment. But I hope this cafe will be good enough and popular enough so the whole thing can wash its face.” There is certainly unmet demand for a place to go to hear music, do yoga, perform, hold fashion shows, put on art displays, eat and drink – whatever people want, Harriet will try and make happen. “We are creating a green room so we can treat artists well. We have a wonderful piano ( a Schiedmayer ) and a fabulous sound system with Genelec speakers.”

The system, being installed by expert sound engineers and creative technologists Shaun Crook and Nathaniel Mason, will I’m told provide an immersive spatial experience.

Meanwhile as Paddy Hill the painter perfects the walls, and the four enormous chandeliers (found second hand in Plymouth) light up the grand space, with fabulous views of the town and the river,
Harriet has a lot to do before opening day. “ We’ve still got a way to go but I’m feeling optimistic that we will be ready.”