EVENTS company, Trouble At Mill, has made Sunny Bank Mills its permanent home and will host year-round shows at the complex’s Old Woollen venue.
From first holding pop-up nights at Sunny Bank nearly a decade ago, the firm has taken on a ten-year lease.
Dick Bonham, one of the directors of the acclaimed Leeds-based company, said: “This is tremendous news for us. Having worked with Sunny Bank Mills to develop the offer at the Old Woollen, we’re delighted to make this a permanent move.
“The next year is our biggest and best yet, with double the amount of shows and some familiar household names visiting Farsley.”
The Old Woollen, a restored building in the heart of the Sunny Bank Mills complex, hosts a mix of music, comedy, theatre and the spoken word in what is a 500-capacity venue.
Mr Bonham added: “The Old Woollen is incredibly flexible and dynamic space that has already seen us host famous names like John Lydon’s Public Image Limited, Shaun Ryder, Mark Radcliffe, Gary Delaney, The Great British Sewing Bee’s Esme Young and legendary TV historian Lucy Worsley.
“The setting at the Old Woollen is ideal for providing all our acts and audiences with a warm welcome. As well as the main room, we are leasing the beautiful Old Engine Room, which gives us a stylish base to work from and doubles as one of the best Green Rooms in the business.
William Gaunt, one of the owners of Sunny Bank Mills, added: “Bringing the Old Woollen back to life was a true labour of love. The building had been derelict for 50 years and had fallen into an advanced state of dilapidation. Now it is a thriving cultural and community hub and maintains the mills’ proud connection with the arts, as both Yorkshire Television’s Emmerdale and Heartbeat were filmed here, and we have a thriving art gallery on site, too,” said Mr Gaunt.
Mr Bonham added: “We know the Old Woollen has an incredible vibe, with some brilliant acts. People always say to us they can’t believe things like this are happening in a place called Farsley - well, this is only the beginning and we are delighted to share some of the great events we have in store – with many more to come.”
Highlights of the Old Woollen’s upcoming programme include music from The Bootleg Beatles performing a rare standing show, The Wonder Stuff, The Wedding Present, classical star Jess Gillam and The Loveless, featuring Marc Almond and Neal X.
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