A special art weekend, Golden October, will take place this month at CAST, in the historic centre of Helston. On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October the building will welcome visitors between 10am and 4pm, with an exciting programme of free creative activities. Artists who work in the building will host their annual open studios and everyone is invited to drop in, look around, join in and learn more about what CAST is and does. CAST’s lovely Café will be open for the whole weekend, with a counter full of stuffed croissants, sausage rolls, focaccia sandwiches and delicious cake.
Founded in 1897 as a School of Science and Art, with funding from the Cornish philanthropist John Passmore Edwards, CAST is now home to around 20 professional artists and is run as a registered charity.
Mike Thomas, Cornwall Councillor (Helston North), who is also a member of Helston Town Council and a former Mayor said: “It is now twelve years since the Passmore Edwards building on Penrose Road first became known as CAST. Many local people will remember that at that time this fine historic building was in a semi-derelict state, boarded up and inhabited by pigeons. Incredible efforts to secure national and international grants have made several stages of rehabilitation possible and it is wonderful to see the building open to the community and serving a purpose that surely would have delighted the great Cornish philanthropist himself.”
CAST has grown into a nationally and internationally known arts organisation that has built an enthusiastic audience for its work with artists and for the wide-ranging film installations and screening evenings presented in its high-tech ‘black box’. It also runs popular creative activities for children and families, such as the free summer CAST-Off programme in the walled garden at Penrose, and is known for its innovative work with schools, children and young people.
This special weekend has been planned to celebrate completion of major re-roofing work, which has taken place thanks to a substantial grant from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, awarded by Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Programme. As well as replacing leaking roofs, the grant has enabled insulation and solar panels to be installed and fine Victorian windows to be restored. It is also supporting improvements to the public areas and entry points to the building, most notably the rebuilding of the steps from Wendron Street car park, which had fallen into serious disrepair. Some renovations will continue through the winter months, but, at this important milestone, CAST wants to share what has been achieved in turning a redundant heritage building into a creative hub that is open to all.
Teresa Gleadowe, CAST’s Executive Chair says: “When we first acquired the building we hosted an event called The Dark Rooms, organised by artist Jesse Leroy Smith. Artists came together to show work in what was then a near ruin and people came from all around to explore the exhibits and see the building again after many months of being boarded up. We’ve come a long way since then and we want to mark this journey by inviting everyone to come back and see what’s happening thanks to the support we’re receiving from the Shared Prosperity Fund. This is a moment to thank all who have contributed to our development over the years, and all the local builders and craftsmen whose work has brought the building back to life.”
In addition to the building renovations, the Shared Prosperity Fund grant has supported many of CAST’s programmes for local schools, young people and artists in the last eighteen months. The Golden October weekend offers opportunities to experience what has been going on in this period: CAST’s screening space will be transformed into an audio-visual installation exploring the history and science of colour (a set-up originally created for primary school ‘Art Lab’ workshops); there will a choice of free guided walks, including one about the craftsmanship that went into the making of Helston’s built heritage (first explored as part of CAST’s popular ‘Water and Stone’ symposium); celebrated British artist Mike Nelson (who led a week-long intensive residency for artists in March), will return to speak about his work; and there will be workshops using techniques employed in the making of Neolithic pottery from gabbroic clay found on the Lizard peninsula (with some of the team who delivered special workshops for local primary schools last November).
There will be many other opportunities to join in, with free drop-in printmaking workshops on Saturday 26th and free pottery workshops on Saturday 27th. There are also quieter and more in-depth sessions to book into for a fee: the friendly artist team at Clay Trap ceramic studio is offering beaker decoration with their specially mixed colourful slips; local expert pinch potter Hannah Lawrence is leading a master class; and The Seaweed Institute, an exciting new addition to CAST’s population of resident creatives, is running a session on foraging and pressing seaweeds.
Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for economy, said: “Community and place are a key investment priority under the Shared Prosperity Fund and CAST is a great example of how we want to support our local communities. Completion of these extensive renovation works will ensure this vibrant, inclusive creative hub will benefit the residents for many years to come.”
CAST was awarded £705,374 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Read more about the project here: https://ciosgoodgrowth.com/project/cast-phase-two/