Carnegie Theatre
Theatre and arts centre in Cumbria, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Carnegie Theatre, or The Carnegie, is a theatre and arts centre located in Workington, Cumbria, England. It occupies a Grade II listed building[1] and is a registered charity.[2]
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Address | Finkle Street Workington England |
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Operator | Carnegie Theatre Trust (Workington) |
Capacity | Approximately 330 (Theatre) |
Current use | Theatre and Arts Centre |
Construction | |
Opened | Thursday 6 October 1904 |
Architect | Messrs Wittett and Mellon, York |
Website | |
www.carnegietheatre.co.uk |
The Foundation Stone for the 'Carnegie Free Library & Lecture Hall' was laid by his Worship The Mayor, Alderman R E Highton on Thursday 10 September 1903. The building opened on Thursday 6 October 1904 following a Carnegie library donation of £7,500 from Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire Ironmaster and Scottish/American Industrialist and philanthropist.[3][4]
The lecture hall was used as a cinema from 1909 under a cinematograph license held by the librarian. The cinema was later let to Grave Cinemas Ltd. It was converted to a theatre after 1963.[5]
Following that long tradition of a building for the people, to this day a regular programme of music and dance events is enjoyed by local people and tourists. Classes and courses are held in the Carnegie Arts Centre every week with a variety of events within the theatre and arts space. Monroes Bar has a reputation for great quality live gigs, along with a busy cafe area open 6 days a week and spaces available for groups, workshops, business meetings and a wide range of other events.