Church emerges from shadows to put spotlight on arts

FOR the first time in decades, Leeds’ Holy Trinity Church has stepped out from the shadow of city centre shops and into the limelight.

The Grade I listed building has been given a mini-facelift thanks to £50,000 funding from the church’s Repair Fund and Land Securities, owners of the £378m Trinity Leeds scheme next door.

The 286-year-old church on Boar Lane has just unveiled its brand new look after a six-week wait. Dozens of pews have been removed to make more space, with some recycled to make benches, boards and even a make-shift bar, as the church now has a licence to sell alcohol. The aisle has also been raised to create a levelled performance space.

John Dawson, director of Arts@Trinity, said: “We wanted to keep the original Georgian features of the church because there is a sense of heritage and history to continue. But at the same time, we wanted to create a much more flexible space that can be used for high-class events and performances and community use too. I am just so pleased that after seven years of ideas and two years of planning, it has finally happened.”

A theatre group is currently using the space as rehearsal rooms ahead of a run of Chekhov’s Three Sisters in May. The group is being kick-started by Paul Ratcliffe – a former student of John’s who went on to train as an actor in Birmingham.

The appointment of Paul as the Arts@Trinity theatre manager happened by chance as he was passing the church one day and popped in to say hello.

“Working with John on the Arts@Trinity project is so exciting. It’s the start of a new theatre company for Leeds that they can be a part of. We will be performing new and old work in interesting ways in this great space.”

While there has been a successful community arts centre within the church for the last 10 years, the recent investment does mark a new chapter for the building and a chance to bring what goes on inside it to a new audience.

“One you used to walk down Boar Lane and it was grey,” says Dr Kevin Grady, director of Leeds Civic Trust. “There were buildings either side of the church and it just didn’t stand out. People knew there was an old Georgian church there, but it was taken for granted. The new shopping development has put Holy Trinity Church on the map in a way it hasn’t been for many years.

“The impression of space and light is astonishingly good and it is very impressive architecturally. The views of the church tower through the roof of Trinity Leeds are fantastic, but the main thing is that there is now a prominent entrance to the shops and restaurants right next to the church. All of a sudden, there is going to be more footfall right outside the doors of the building. The advantage of that is that it is going to create a much bigger potential audience for all the events going on within the church.”

Holy Trinity is also keen to nurture a strong community ethos, offering a space for young, new and aspiring artists, musicians and actors to perform.

“It’s very important that the space is used for arts and community activities as the value of the church as an amenity has gone up spectacularly,” says Dr Grady. “Hopefully if the church has more funds available to them in the future they will be able to do even more with the space they have got.”

Barry Payling, who is currently using the church to stage his ‘Wild Britain’ photographic exhibition, is one of the first to benefit from the new-look space:

“What makes it special for me is the stained glass window,” he says. “It makes such a difference from having just four walls to hang your pictures on and you know you will get a mixed audience.”

Barry’s is one of two exhibitions being held in the church and over the coming months there are big plans for Holy Trinity Church.

Later this month, a pop-up restaurant will move, but despite a busy line-up of secular events, the sacred aspect remains firmly intact. The Lady Chapel is still open to the public and the Riverside Church holds its Sunday services there every week.

The City of David Church also still uses the venue occasionally and next month, the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, Rt Revd John Packer, will lead the church’s rededication.

John adds: “It’s an unusual thing to have the secular and the spiritual all in the same space but it works.”

The rededication service will take place on May 24 and for a full programme of events go to www.holytrinityleeds.co.uk.