Plans have been approved to turn a historic former cinema in Maryport into a cultural hub.
The former Carlton cinema on Senhouse Street in Maryport started life in the 1830s as a bank, before becoming a cinema and latterly a pottery business.
Under the approved plans, the ground floor of the existing building will be converted to house flexible performance and event spaces. At the back of the building, rehearsal spaces and changing rooms will be created.
On the first floor, exhibition spaces, artists and crafts workshops, and a recording studio for aspiring radio presenters and podcasters will be created. At second floor, further exhibition, workshop spaces, as well as a kitchen area will be provided.
An adjacent building on Senhouse Street will also be replaced to create a new main entrance to the site as well as a café, box office and artists’ displays. Clad in a mix of matt, shiny and perforated panels, the new addition has been designed to create a contemporary landmark destination for the cultural hub, drawing in visitors from the town.
The project is due to complete next Spring and forms part of Maryport’s £11 million Future High Streets Fund regeneration.
