How did Nyth happen?
The objective was clear - to find a home for artists and communities to come together. But how did we get there?
We were founded in Harlech in 1984 as a theatre in education company then in the late 90s we relocated to a larger space in Menai Bridge.
By the mid-2010s we had outgrown our space in Menai Bridge and the search for a new home began.
So, together with our Young Company, we started to look for a location with excellent transport links and central to North West Wales.
In 2018, after exploring various options, we discovered the old St Mary’s Church, tucked away among the trees in Bangor city centre. We knew instantly that this hidden gem would be the ideal home - a place for artists to thrive and communities to come together.
Here's a timeline of the development:
STAGE 1 (2015)
At stage 1 we conducted a Feasibility Study to establish our needs and to test various aspects of the brief. A lot of this work involved talking with our young people, artists, and the companies and organisations we work with.
STAGE 2 (2018)
At stage 2 we developed the design concept to ensure that building could work for us and our communities. During this time we conducted further consultations with residents, young people, artists and other partners.
And then in August 2019, we purchased the old church.
STAGE 3 (2020)
In stage 3 we received final planning permission from Cyngor Gwynedd. As well as working on the getting the funding packages in place, we looked at the finer details of the design including access, technical requirements, toilets, parking, outdoor spaces and the essential gathering spaces.
Right of the beginning of this stage we commissioned architects Manalo & White. They’ve been working with us and our young people to create a building fit for the future that offers access and engagement for all.
During this stage we also commissioned three artists to work with us, our design team and our young people on the design process for Nyth.
During this stage we secured £1.8m from the National Lottery, administrated through Arts Council of Wales, £1.2m through Cyngor Gwynedd by Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, £200,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation and and £10,000 from The Pennant Foundation.
STAGE 4 (2021)
During this stage we finalised the funding package available and went out to tender with the final plans.
We appointed Grosvenor Construction in August 2021 and they started work on the site in November 2021. It is expected the work will be complete in late 2022.
STAGE 5 (2022)
This is where the exciting transformation took place!
The building work took 20 months to transform the old church into an accessible and welcoming and environmentally friendly hub for young people and our communities.
STAGE 6 (2023)
In July 2023 we moved into Nyth.
