Plans set to breathe new life into historic building

Plans are being drawn up to transform a historic Penzance building into a music centre.Local charity MusicAbility Foundation is behind the plans for 10 Parade Street, having acquired the building with a help of a donation.The first stage of the development of the organisation’s new building was the creation of a music therapy room, which has now been up and running for more than a year, working with local schools, social care and mental health services.Now, the charity hopes to provide a second music therapy space to allow level access for wheelchair users and clients with mobility needs.Work inside the building would include soundproofing, double glazing, new seating in the main hall alongside toilets, kitchen and reception space, office, storage and work space for visiting music teachers.Considerations being made include an extension into the existing car park recreating the original footprint of the listed building. This will house a new public-facing entrance looking out to the Acorn Theatre, and with The Exchange gallery just along the road, the new music centre will create a small arts quarter in the centre of Penzance.Trustee Ted Francis-Smith said: “We are working in partnership with The Architectural Heritage Fund to sensitively restore the building to its former glory and update it for modern day use. They are currently funding an extensive feasibility study which will consider all aspects of the development including restoration of the building and benefit to the local community.”Director of Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange, James Green, said: “I’m delighted that 10 Parade Street is being brought back to life as a music centre.”It will contribute significantly to raising Penzance’s profile as a major centre for cultural excellence, and more specifically as a place where the arts are used to support personal development, wellbeing, and wider social change, at a time when this is so needed. The venue will lead to many new fruitful collaborations between Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, MusicAbility, and the wider creative community in Penwith.”MusicAbility is now planning to raise awareness of the facility and raise funds to support the building works.Partner organisation MusicAbility Community Interest Company (CIC) was created in 2017 by music educator Tim Boulton and music psychotherapist Ruth Boulton to respond to changes in therapy and education in Cornwall.Ruth Boulton added: “We would like to create a new contemporary and eco-friendly extension, full of light and openness. It’s important that we build as ethically and sustainably as we can with a low-carbon footprint, becoming a beacon for sustainability. Two hundred years ago, the building held an important position in the life of the town, and we would like to return it to its former stature.”