We are delighted to share that our work has led to a £10,000 grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation – as a conribution to core costs.
Otley Courthouse is an arts and resource which opened in 2004 – following an 8 year development period transforming a redundant magistrates court into a thriving community arts and culture centre. Since that time, a strong and varied programme of events has been established. They know that the arts and culture matter to people – and that community and connections matter. Otley Courthouse brings these two dimensions of life together.
Each week they host many groups and classes including: exercise classes, community choirs, chair-based yoga, Pilates, knitting, Under 5’s groups and a dementia group. The community café is open daily. The Courthouse hosts around 200 events a year from film screenings to theatre, with a wide variety of music, comedy, and an annual Science Festival.
They run school holiday activities for children and offer part time work and volunteering for young people. A range of community organisations meet here including Otley Maker Space, Wharfedale Men’s Shed which are both formal tenants. They also host a monthly craft fair, Otley Green Fair, and an Arts Festival.
Otley Courthouse provides opportunities for people to make new friends and to feel connected in their community. For local people, this helps create a shared sense of purpose; feeling of being part of the community and shared support. Staff and volunteers have built up strong partnerships over the years with many local and regional organisations.