It was exactly fifty years ago that Charnwood Arts first opened its doors and was born from a powerful vision, boundless passion, and a firm belief that creativity has the unique power to bring people together.

We all know that for so many of those years, Kevin Ryan was at the helm, guiding and shaping every step of the journey and our current CEO, Shirley Novak at the helm for the last 6 years. Over these five decades, Charnwood Arts has become far more than just a place to make art; it has been the heartbeat of our community, a space where ideas grow, stories are told, and every single voice is welcomed and heard.

The Coffee House:

Originally a literary journal from Charnwood Arts, featuring poetry, prose and visual art. Edited by local writer Deborah Tyler-Bennett, it showcased creators from Charnwood and worldwide – including Europe, Ireland, France and the USA.

Published twice yearly, it was praised for its high quality, featured in the Poetry Society’s Poetry Map of Britain, and archived digitally by the South Bank Poetry Library.

To mark Charnwood Arts’ 50th anniversary, we are releasing a special edition with new writing and art, plus brand-new Coffee House Podcasts.

We are also planning a Community Weave for the railings outside our building, a 50 Pieces of Artwork exhibition a short celebratory film and much much more throughout the next 12 months so keep your eyes peeled!