Arts events at the Piece Hall in Halifax

Halifax's historic Piece Hall is serving up a fine festive feast of arts events to suit all tastes this month. Programmer Molly Rigg spoke to Yvette Huddleston.
YULETIDE SPARKLE: The Grade I Listed Piece Hall in Halifax.YULETIDE SPARKLE: The Grade I Listed Piece Hall in Halifax.
YULETIDE SPARKLE: The Grade I Listed Piece Hall in Halifax.

Since its reopening in August this year, following a multi-million pound refurbishment, Halifax’s historic Piece Hall has become the central focus of a world-class cultural quarter that also includes Square Chapel Arts Centre and Dean Clough galleries.

The grade I listed Georgian building which dates back to 1779 is a buzzing leisure, retail and heritage destination – with a growing number of exciting cultural events on its calendar.

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That is down to programmer Molly Rigg whose team have been working hard to raise the profile of the Piece Hall as an arts venue. And for the festive season, they have pulled out all the stops, creating a schedule of events that has something for everyone.

“We have been working on it for a few months now, building up contacts and trying to make a programme that will appeal to different people,” says Rigg who previously worked at Somerset House in London. “We have plenty of events for families, lots of music and performance. We are getting better known but people aren’t familiar with what we are doing yet.” That could all change this Christmas. The diverse programme is packed full of theatre. comedy, live music, cabaret, storytelling and child-friendly shows, all of which will be presented in a Spiegeltent in the Piece Hall’s magnificent central plaza.

“It is a really warm and enveloping space and it feels really special because it is so intimate,” says Rigg. “It’s quite magical and creates a nice atmosphere. Lots of artists like performing in a Spiegeltent, because you are playing right up close to the audience, so that has helped to bring people in.” Among those appearing in the tent, which can hold up to 400 hundred people standing and 320 seated, are comedians Gary Delaney, Tom Stade, Alun Cochrane and Adam Kay. There will also be a special Kids Comedy Club ‘without the rude bits or swearing’ suitable for all the family.

Live music events include The Unthanks who will be performing the songs and poems of Molly Drake, Kissmet, a band that fuses traditional Punjabi folk-dance music with Western rock, and Brighton-based multi-instrumentalists The Moulettes will be sharing their alt pop/rock/folk sound playing tracks from their album Preternatural. Other highlights include Cabaret Heaven featuring the very best in contemporary cabaret, with chansons, unicycling, mind-reading, juggling and levitation on the bill, a Burlesque show, several silent discos and a selection of seasonal stories from around the world brought to life by storyteller Matthew Bellwood.

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“What is great is that the Piece Hall Trust are willing to take risks,” says Rigg. “And that is a really nice position to be in because it means we can try things out. We have lots of ideas and plans for the future.” With Square Chapel Arts Centre right next door and Dean Clough nearby, the team are nurturing partnerships that will no doubt prove mutually beneficial. “That is going to be our strength going forward,” says Rigg. “We had 85,000 people coming to support us across the launch over four weekends, so there is clearly an appetite for cultural activity here in Halifax. And there are lots of artists, locally and from further afield, coming to us with proposals. The word seems to be spreading quite quickly which is brilliant.”

For the full programme of events visit thepiecehall.co.uk

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