South Mill Arts

{{Short description|Arts complex and museum in Bishop's Stortford, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=February 2023}} '''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.<ref>[http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/News/Bishops-Stortford/Huge-interest-as-arts-complex-opens-its-doors.htm "Huge interest as arts complex opens its doors"] Herts and Essex Observer, 17 November 2005</ref> 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. [[File:North side Rhodes Arts Complex Museum Theatre Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire England.jpg|thumb|South Mill Arts complex]]

==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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-05|title=Cecil Rhodes theatre changes name after pressure from Black Lives Matter protests|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cecil-rhodes-arts-complex-theatre-name-change-black-lives-matter-protests-a9655221.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cecil-rhodes-arts-complex-theatre-name-change-black-lives-matter-protests-a9655221.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-08-05|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=Luther Blissett: Watford legend opposes renaming colonial roads |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-53421061 |access-date=December 6, 2025 |website=BBC}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

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 [[Charitable incorporated organisation|CIO]] in 2020.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bishop's Stortford: Rhodes Birthplace Trust to be renamed |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-53009318 |access-date=December 6, 2025 |website=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{EW charity|1090267}}</ref><ref>{{EW charity|1189853}}</ref>

==Bishop's Stortford Museum== [[File:Rhodes Birthplace and Bishop's Stortford Museum - geograph.org.uk - 592543.jpg|thumb|Bishop's Stortford Museum]] {{Main|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 (region)|Rhodesia]].<ref>[http://www.bishopsstortford.org/rhodes-arts-complex-bishops-stortford-museum Rhodes Arts Complex & Bishop's Stortford Museum] on Bishop's Stortford Town Council's website</ref> [[File:Cecil Rhodes Plaque - geograph.org.uk - 592547.jpg|thumb|Cecil Rhodes Plaque]] The Rhodes' Birthplace Museum opened in 1938 in Netteswell House and the adjacent property. The building is now protected by a [[Grade II listed|Grade II listing]].<ref name="NHLE">{{NHLE|num=1347477|desc=Rhodes' Birthplace Museum|grade=II|accessdate=1 December 2016}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{commons category-inline|South Mill Arts}} * [https://southmillarts.co.uk/ South Mill Arts] - official site * [http://www.stortfordhistory.co.uk/guide13/rhodes-centre-2/ History of the Museum, Commonwealth Centre and Arts Complex on Stortford History site]

[[Category:Culture in Hertfordshire]] [[Category:Art museums and galleries in Hertfordshire]] [[Category:Arts centres in England]] [[Category:Charities based in Hertfordshire]] [[Category:Bishop's Stortford]] [[Category:Cecil Rhodes]]