Arts Hall
The Arts Hall was a popular venue for various artistic uses including the staging of plays and concerts and is located at the junction of Rink Street and Park Drive, Port Elizabeth.
Contents
1 Founding and early history
The Arts Hall was opened on December 7, 1927, by the Port Elizabeth Mayor, Councillor A H Brookes, in time for the opening of the ninth annual exhibition of the Eastern Province Society of Arts and Crafts (EPSAC). The Hall was designed by Jones and McWilliams and was the first venue in Port Elizabeth which had proper lighting. It turned out to be a very useful building. A companion building, the King George VI Art Gallery, was intended to commemorate the 1947 visit of the Royal Family but owing to a shortage of funds it was only opened on June 22, 1956, by Councillor J G Young.
2 Aims and function
3 Current Status
EPSAC moved out of the building and purchased a house in Western Road which they then converted into an art gallery. The Arts Hall is now part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Art Museum.
4 Impact on SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
5 Sources
Port Elizabeth, a social chronicle to the end of 1945 by Margaret Harradine.
6 Return to
Go to the ESAT Bibliography
Return to South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc
Return to South_African_Festivals
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
