| The Carnegie Theatre | |
| Address: | Finkle Street |
| City: | Workington |
| Country: | England |
| Architect: | Messrs Wittett and Mellon, York |
| Operator: | Carnegie Theatre Trust (Workington) |
| Capacity: | Approximately 330 (Theatre) |
| Opened: | Thursday 6 October 1904 |
| Currentuse: | Theatre and Arts Centre |
| Website: | www.carnegietheatre.co.uk |
The Carnegie Theatre, or The Carnegie, is a theatre and arts centre located in Workington, Cumbria, England. It occupies a Grade II listed building[1] and is a registered charity.
The Foundation Stone for the 'Carnegie Free Library & Lecture Hall' was laid by his Worship The Mayor, Alderman R E Highton on Thursday 10 September 1903. The building opened on Thursday 6 October 1904 following a Carnegie library donation of £7,500 from Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire Ironmaster and Scottish/American Industrialist and philanthropist.[2] [3]
The lecture hall was used as a cinema from 1909 under a cinematograph license held by the librarian. The cinema was later let to Grave Cinemas Ltd. It was converted to a theatre after 1963.[4]
Following that long tradition of a building for the people, to this day a regular programme of music and dance events is enjoyed by local people and tourists. Classes and courses are held in the Carnegie Arts Centre every week with a variety of events within the theatre and arts space. Monroes Bar has a reputation for great quality live gigs, along with a busy cafe area open 6 days a week and spaces available for groups, workshops, business meetings and a wide range of other events.
Following a public meeting in 2011 the Carnegie Development Group was formed to support and secure a sustainable future for the Carnegie Theatre and Arts Centre as the prime venue for theatre, arts and culture in Workington and its surrounding districts. It later morphed into the "Friends of the Carnegie" group.[5]
The aims and objectives of the Carnegie Development Group were to:
The venue was taken over by the Carnegie Theatre Trust on the 1 May 2015 and is operated as a charity. It has a small number of paid staff that are managed by the board of directors (trustees).
Until January 2023, the chair of the trust was Lee Martin-White.