South Mill Arts is a venue for theatre, contemporary arts and culture, local history, and conferences in
Bishop's Stortford,
Hertfordshire, England. One of the buildings, today Bishop's Stortford Museum, was the birthplace of
Cecil Rhodes.
The complex was refurbished in 2005 and has a 300-seat theatre, a multi-purpose studio space, museum, an exhibition gallery for art and photography, and a café bar. It provides a programme of arts events and hosts professional touring productions, dance groups, musicians and comedians. Films are also shown in its tiered auditorium.
Previously called the Rhodes Arts Complex, on 24 August 2020 the arts complex was renamed South Mill Arts in response to the
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police br ...
protests against institutional racism.
Bishop's Stortford Museum
Netteswell House, today Bishop's Stortford Museum, was the birthplace of British imperialist
Cecil Rhodes, the financier and founder of diamond company
De Beers who gave his name to
Rhodesia. It houses the Rhodes Collection, containing interactive displays, archives, artefacts, and photographs, about the life of Rhodes. The Rhodes Birthplace Trust is a
registered charity under
English law.
The museum combines the collections of the former Rhodes Memorial Museum and the Bishop's Stortford Local History Museum. The Rhodes' Birthplace Museum was established in 1938 in two early-19th-century houses which are Grade II-listed buildings.
The current museum opened in 2005.
"Huge interest as arts complex opens its doors"
Herts and Essex Observer, 17 November 2005
The original part of Rhodes' home holds exhibits on the life of Rhodes, 19th-century Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...
n artefacts from his travels, and a reconstructed middle-class Victorian drawing room with family memorabilia. The building holds exhibits on local history.
References
External links
*
South Mill Arts
- official site
History of the Museum, Commonwealth Centre and Arts Complex on Stortford History site
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Culture in Hertfordshire
Museums in Hertfordshire
Biographical museums in Hertfordshire
History museums in Hertfordshire
Grade II listed houses in Hertfordshire
Art museums and galleries in Hertfordshire
Local museums in Hertfordshire
Arts centres in England
Charities based in Hertfordshire
Bishop's Stortford
Cecil Rhodes