East Leake Village Hall is turning 90 this year and as a part of the Halls celebrations they will be holding an afternoon tea and performance of ‘Village Hall Stories, from the book and beyond’ on Saturday 19th April 2025.
The performance is the result of the village halls collaboration with writer and performer Naomi Paul and forms a part of Live and Local art projects. The funding for this has come from Arts Council England.
The inspiration for the performance in part is the original minute book for the hall which was found recently by two committee members in an old suitcase under the stage. The book spans a period of 20 years from 1931 to 1951 and covers the initial idea of having a building which would form an integral part of everyday life in the village and give the community a space which could be used in a number of ways by the local community. The book also covers the purchase of the land the hall stands on by the WI East Leake and discusses the architect plans for the building. It was to take the committee four years from the initial idea to the grand opening of the hall in May 1935.
Naomi, who has been working on the project since February 2025, has visited the hall and spoken to members of the community and various hall user groups to ask them for their memories of the hall. The current Village Hall Committee has been delighted by the response from the community with lots of people sharing their happy memories of the hall through the decades.
The project has helped highlight that the ideals and hopes of a committee 90 years ago, which was to create a building at the heart of the community not only succeeded but continues to thrive today.
Tickets for the event are on sale now and available from The Greengrocer East Leake, tickets are £5 per person and includes afternoon tea, live music as well as the performance ‘Village Hall Stories, from the book and beyond.’
For any further information please email [email protected] or you can message through the halls Facebook page.
Written by Sarah Kennedy