Preserving & Celebrating Our Heritage Part II – Achievements against plan

2017 – Launch of our new “corporate” identity,
with the adoption of “TheStage”, “TheScreen” and “TheMuseum” as our three major core activity areas.

2019 – Re-opening of the fully refurbished, re-themed and renamed lounge.
With its fine picture window views of the adjacent Millars maltings, and less than a minute’s walk from the river, “The Maltings Bar” links us to the town’s industrial heritage, helping us to realise our heritage-aligned identity. The lounge has become an attractive and informal venue for intimate musical events as well as club and other organisation activities during the evening and throughout most days, whilst providing an opportunity to bring museum artefacts into public display.

2019 – Celebration of our musical heritage.
“The Rhodes” was a regional venue for touring pop bands at the top of their game during the late 1950’s – 1960’s, bands who are now part of pop culture history. This crossover between heritage and the arts is being celebrated and remembered in our museum music project, phase 1 of which is already complete.

2019 – Refurbishment of the ArtSpace exhibition area.
This is enabling us to provide space for exhibitions of most forms of the visual arts in a sympathetic environment.

2020 – Establishment of a CIO.
Confirmation has been received from the Charity Commission that our application to become a CIO was approved and registered on 9th June 2020. Known as “The Bishop’s Stortford Museum and Arts CIO” it will replace the current Rhodes Birthplace Trust in the near future, but a considerable amount of administrative work needs to be done first, involving the transfer of assets and legal responsibility from the old trust to the new CIO. Plans are in place to achieve this as soon as is practically possible.