The Plymouth Athenaeum

Founded on 17 October 1812 as the Plymouth Institute, it was soon renamed the Plymouth Institution. The first meetings took place in Catherine Street and later Frankfort Street Art Gallery. Architect and founding member of the Institution John Foulston, who had won a competition to design the Royal Hotel and Theatre group of buildings, designed the building that would become the permanent home of the organisation. The foundation stone of the Athenaeum, which had a Greek Doric-style facade, was laid on 1 May 1818. The Devon and Cornwall Natural History Society, formed in 1838, amalgamated with the Plymouth Institution in 1851. The Mechanics' Institute in Princes Street closed in 1899 and a…

The rebuilt Athenaeum building included a theatre, being very popular with local dancing schools and Amateur Dramatic groups until its closure due to financial problems in 2009 . Performers who took to the stage at the Athenaeum included actress Maggie Steed and poet Pam Ayres. In 1971, with the co-operation of the British Film Institute, a film theatre was created with the construction of a projection room on the roof. Present at the opening night were Malcolm McDowell, Bryan Forbes and Nanette Newman. The theatre was relaunched in 2016 and opened in 2017. This was made possible through a collaboration with the local Barbican Theatre, a Social Enterprise Investment Fund grant and loan from…