JOHN PEEL CENTRE

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The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts is an ambitious project to provide a lasting tribute to the life and career of the much-loved broadcaster John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939–25 October 2004), better known as John Peel and to create a high quality, community-owned, Arts Centre in Stowmarket, Suffolk. The team behind the project set out to bring an unused and decaying historic building back into use and create an inspirational environment to foster the creative energy of local people and enable wider enjoyment of the arts. Situated in the Stowmarket Corn Hall which was built in the Market Place in 1835 and was opened on the 13 July 1836 and it housed the town’s Assembly Rooms and, as well as agricultural trading on market days, the building was also used for public meetings, concerts and travelling theatrical performances. The Corn Hall was a hive of activity in the 1950s and played host to many events including an indoor market, trade exhibitions and recitals but later stood empty for many years whilst its fate was decided. The restoration of the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts was carried out between November 2010 and February 2013 and was funded through grants, fundraising events, and the generous donations of many people and is now operated by a dedicated team of volunteers, offering a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere and a diverse programme of music, theatre, poetry, and community events. Suffolk artists who have exhibited at the John Peel Centre include Malcolm Buntrock.