Rolle centre opens for festival production

Rolle Exmouth Limited (REL) and Exmouth Town Council have secured permission from Plymouth University for the Four of Swords theatre company to put on a production of Jason and the Argonauts in the Owen Building at The Rolle Centre as part of the Exmouth Festival.

There will be 18 matinee and evening performances between 25th May and 6th June.  The production will be promenade theatre leading audiences through the building so ticket numbers will be limited.  The performances will be in the Owen Building.

The Exmouth Festival is now in its 19th year. The festival has grown from a community focused music event to a cross art-form platform for local, national and international artists. Exmouth Festival runs from Friday May 22nd to Thursday May 28th and features seven days of music in Manor Gardens, a comprehensive literature programme at Exmouth Library, a fringe theatre programme at the Blackmore Theatre and the unique and wonderful Jason and the Argonauts site specific work from Four of Swords.

Four of Swords is a Devon-based company which has been going from strength to strength pioneering its own style of immersive, site-specific theatre. It has built its reputation on the adaptation of classic stories using live music and a range of visually exciting multi-media techniques. In each production the venue itself is of crucial importance as the audience enters into the world of the story, follows the performers through the building and experiences it as different events unfold around them.

REL is a community benefits society that is working closely with Plymouth University  to deliver education, enterprise and business facilities.  Working with a team of South West-based planning consultants, both parties are jointly developing a masterplan and following a Government social investment grant of £99,000 awarded in November, REL have been working on behalf of the community to develop plans and business cases for future use of the site.

REL Directors will be available during the performances at the site and during the festival to engage with the community.  A consultation programme – comprising informal updates and public information events – will take place later in the summer, prior to submission of an outline planning application before the end of the year.

The Owen Building dominates the entrance to the site and has far reaching views over the estuary.  The building contains a circular atrium which has been used for exhibitions, a 240 seat theatre, a 120 seat lecture/film theatre and 5 seminar rooms. 

Talks are presently taking place regarding the long-term future of the Owen Building and the potential for Plymouth University to transfer it – along with another part of the site – to REL for their proposed community activities.  REL welcome expressions of interest from any groups or clubs who may be interested in using the buildings and the site in the future.

Tim Bland, Exmouth Festival Manager said “The festival is delighted to have commissioned Four of Swords to deliver a stunningly unique and inspirational show that responds to the Rolle Centre site. Four of Swords have a great track record in transforming spaces and placing them at the heart of their artistic work and we are very happy to welcome them to the Rolle Centre for their run of Jason and the Argonauts.

This project shows the strength of the arts in regenerating and reinterpreting spaces such as the Rolle Centre and the Festival is very grateful to Rolle Exmouth Limited and Plymouth University for enabling this event to take place.
Sarah White, co-founder of Four of Swords is extremely excited at the prospect of using Rolle College. “The Owen building is a brilliant and diverse space with loads of potential,” she said. “The circular atrium with it mezzanine and skylight are particularly attractive, and we will be transforming this area into the site of the ancient Colcheans' midsummer festival, complete with taiko drumming!”

Deborah Hallett, Chair of Rolle Exmouth Limited said: ”This is a fantastic opportunity to breathe life back into the Rolle site.  We are working hard with Plymouth University to develop a plan for the site and we hope to make an announcement soon on our interim plans.  But most importantly the gates of the Rolle site will be open again and I hope the people of Exmouth will enjoy the productions and gain a sense for what the future Rolle Centre will offer.”

Trevor Wills, Director of Estates and Capital Projects at Plymouth University, said: “Plymouth University has a long association with the town of Exmouth, and in particular its artistic community, so we are pleased to see part of the Rolle College site being used in such an exciting and creative way.  I hope this is the first step on the journey towards a positive future for the site, and our current discussions with REL are focussed on how it can be at the forefront of Exmouth’s economic and cultural regeneration, creating a lasting legacy for the town and its people.”