Acton Arts Project awarded another grant to ensure listed building is protected
Acton old library to become Acton's new cinema
Acton Arts Project has won another grant to help refurbish the Old Library creating a new cinema and school for autistic children expected to open this year.
The community led and supported campaign raised over 100k initially from Crowdfunding and further help was given through Spacehive. Last month the Mayor of London pledged 30k through the Make London fund for recovery projects aimed at improving public spaces.
The latest good news comes from the Archtectural Heritage Fund (AHF) who will be providing a 20k grant
to help both preserve and breathe new life into this notable building.
The Old Library was designed by Maurice Adams FRIBA, and was partly funded by a grant of £4,000 from the philanthropist J Passmore Edwards and was opened 120 years ago by the American Ambassador Joseph Choate.
Acton Old Library and High Street
It's a Grade 2 listed building and an Asset of Community Value, but hasn't been used since it was closed in 2014.
The AHF programme is part of a wider initiative to revive heritage high streets in England. They support projects which transform high streets and town centres with what they say is the aim of ''helping them become thriving places, strengthening local communities and encouraging local economies to prosper.''
Renowned Architectural Heritage specialist, John Scott, will be inspecting the building this week and drawing up a schedule of works for the external facade. The internal changes will include the pop up cinema, a cafe bar and gallery space and work is expected to begin shortly.
Volunteers are sought to help clean the building and are urged to contact actonartsproject@gmail.com
Once it's up and running, a series of events are planned including the screening of winning films from the inaugural Ealing Film Festival
The new project will be Covid secure with distanced seating allowing more seats to be added, as the situation changes and evolves.
Annemarie Flanagan
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20 April 021
Annemarie Flanagan
