South Mill Arts

South Mill Arts is a venue for theatre, contemporary arts and culture, and conferences in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. An adjacent 19th-century building, today Bishop's Stortford Museum, was the birthplace of Cecil Rhodes and is a centre for local history.

In the 1960s new buildings were added behind the birthplace to form the Rhodes Memorial Museum and Commonwealth Centre. The complex was refurbished in 2005.[1] It has a 300-seat theatre, a multi-purpose studio space, museum, an exhibition gallery for art and photography, and a café bar. It provides a programme of arts events and hosts professional touring productions, dance groups, musicians and comedians. Films are also shown in its tiered auditorium.

Renaming

Previously called the Rhodes Arts Complex, on 24 August 2020 the arts complex was renamed to South Mill Arts after a debate in the town and surrounding area.[2] In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests against institutional racism, the Rhodes Must Fall movement gained further momentum in the UK, thus galvanising calls for the name change, although the campaign had already begun in the town before nationwide attention was brought to the issue.[3][4]

In the 20th century the name of the registered charity governing the venue was the Cecil Rhodes Memorial Museum and Commonwealth Centre. It changed its name to the Rhodes Birthplace Trust in 2005. In light of concerns around the record of Cecil Rhodes, the trustees renamed the charity again, finally settling on Bishop's Stortford Museum and Arts CIO in 2020. [4][5][6]

Bishop's Stortford Museum

Netteswell House is a semi-detached property which was the birthplace of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes, the financier and founder of diamond company De Beers who gave his name to Rhodesia.[7]

The Rhodes' Birthplace Museum opened in 1938 in Netteswell House and the adjacent property. The building is now protected by a Grade II listing.[8]

Collections

The museum now combines the collections of the former Rhodes Memorial Museum and the Bishop's Stortford Local History Museum.

The original part of Rhodes' home holds exhibits on the life of Rhodes, 19th-century Southern African artefacts from his travels, and a reconstructed middle-class Victorian drawing room with family memorabilia.

References

  1. ^ "Huge interest as arts complex opens its doors" Herts and Essex Observer, 17 November 2005
  2. ^ "Cecil Rhodes theatre changes name after pressure from Black Lives Matter protests". The Independent. 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Luther Blissett: Watford legend opposes renaming colonial roads". BBC. 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Bishop's Stortford: Rhodes Birthplace Trust to be renamed". BBC. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  5. ^ "South Mill Arts, registered charity no. 1090267". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  6. ^ "South Mill Arts, registered charity no. 1189853". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  7. ^ Rhodes Arts Complex & Bishop's Stortford Museum on Bishop's Stortford Town Council's website
  8. ^ Historic England. "Rhodes' Birthplace Museum (Grade II) (1347477)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  • Media related to South Mill Arts at Wikimedia Commons
  • South Mill Arts - official site
  • History of the Museum, Commonwealth Centre and Arts Complex on Stortford History site

51°51′49″N 0°09′50″E / 51.8635°N 0.1640°E / 51.8635; 0.1640

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