29/09/2026
The Royston Venue may be looking increasingly impressive, but as this latest "Behind the Curtain" update shows, there's still a huge amount happening behind the scenes before the doors can officially open.
From community consultation and volunteer recruitment to technical training and future planning, September has been another busy month for the team.
We're excited to see the project continuing to take shape and look forward to sharing more updates as the venue moves ever closer to welcoming audiences back into this historic building.
Read the full update below 👇
September has been an exciting and important month for The Royston Venue as work continues both on-site and behind the scenes to bring Royston's newest cultural and community space to life.
While many people are naturally focused on the physical transformation of the building, this month has highlighted the vast amount of work required to turn an incredible venue into a fully functioning destination for cinema, live entertainment, creative activity and community events.
Alongside technical training, community engagement and volunteer development, we've also been taking time to reflect on the venue's place in Royston's past and the role we hope it will play in the town's future.
🔨 More than meets the eye
One question we've heard increasingly often this month is:
"The venue looks finished... when will it open?"
It's a fair question.
Many of the visible transformation works are now complete, and when people see photographs of the auditorium, stage and technical installations, it's easy to assume we're almost ready to welcome audiences through the doors.
The reality is that bringing a venue like this back into operation involves far more than the physical refurbishment alone.
Alongside the work that people can see, there is still a considerable amount happening behind the scenes. Planning conditions must be discharged, licences and permissions secured, operational procedures developed, technical systems thoroughly tested, volunteers recruited and trained, and countless practical details finalised before we can open with confidence.
Much of this work may not be particularly glamorous, but it's essential to creating a safe, welcoming and sustainable venue that can serve the community successfully for many years to come.
Whilst we'd all love to rush to the finish line, our priority is getting things right. Every step takes time, but every step brings us closer to opening the doors and creating the experience Royston deserves.
🎭 Every event brings new experiences and new learning opportunities
We'd also like to extend our thanks to everyone at Cambridge Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS), whose recent use of the venue for their productions, Ruby of Elsinore" by Bruce Kane and "To Be, Or Not To Bother?" by David Tristram, has provided valuable insight as we continue to develop our operational procedures and understand how audiences, performers and volunteers interact with the space.
Watching the venue come to life, even temporarily, has helped inform planning for everything from audience flow and front-of-house arrangements to technical delivery and event management. We're grateful to CADS for their professionalism, enthusiasm and support, and for helping us take another important step on the journey towards opening The Royston Venue.
🎬 Learning the ropes
This month, our team has continued spending time familiarising ourselves with the systems that will help bring future screenings, performances and events to life.
We've been undertaking training on the venue's cinema projection equipment and exploring the processes involved in delivering screenings once the venue opens. For audiences, watching a film might appear simple, but behind every successful screening sits a considerable amount of technical preparation and expertise.
We're also beginning to pass some of this knowledge on to prospective volunteers, helping to build the skills and confidence that will support the venue's day-to-day operation in the future.
Earlier this month, we also reached out to theatre technicians, lighting designers, sound engineers and venue professionals from around the world with a simple question:
"What's the most expensive mistake a new venue can make?"
The response was incredible, generating hundreds of comments and insights from industry professionals. While there was no single answer, the discussion reinforced the importance of flexibility, accessibility, future-proofing and careful planning.
It's easy to focus on what happens on stage, but a successful venue is built just as much on what happens behind the scenes.
💬 Shaping the future together
September has also marked the announcement of our biggest community engagement activity to date.
Earlier this month, we announced our upcoming community consultation event, providing an opportunity for residents, organisations and community groups to help shape the future of The Royston Venue.
The consultation will allow people to hear more about the project, ask questions, complete our survey and, most importantly, share their ideas about what they'd like to see happening within the building in the years ahead.
One of the questions we're most frequently asked remains:
"What will The Royston Venue actually be?"
Whilst cinema will remain at the heart of the project, our ambitions extend far beyond that. We want to create a space that brings people together through theatre, live music, comedy, talks, workshops, exhibitions, learning opportunities, creative activities, community events and much more.
To help bring that vision to life, we've also been working on something a little different behind the scenes.
Over the past few weeks, we've been putting together a short video designed to capture the atmosphere, ambition and possibilities of The Royston Venue. Rather than focusing on construction work or technical details, it aims to showcase the feeling of what this building could become.
It's a video about people, creativity, connection and shared experiences, and we're looking forward to sharing it at the community consultation
🎨 Celebrating local creativity
September also provided a wonderful opportunity to welcome creative activity into the building as part of this year's Royston Arts Festival.
Although we're not yet open for regular programming, we were delighted to host exhibitions from Royston Arts Society and Royston Photographic Society within the venue.
Seeing visitors walking through the building, engaging with local artwork and photography, and experiencing the space firsthand offered an exciting glimpse into what the future could hold.
The quality and variety of work on display was remarkable, and we'd like to thank the exhibitors, organisers and everyone who visited over the festival weekend.
Partnerships with local creative organisations will play an important role in the future of The Royston Venue, and events like these demonstrate just how much talent exists within our community.
🏛️ Looking to the past while building the future
This month also gave us the opportunity to spend some time exploring Royston's rich entertainment heritage.
A visit to Royston Museum provided valuable insight into the town's cinematic history, including fascinating archive material that revealed what cinema-going looked like for local residents decades ago.
Among the highlights was a cinema programme dating back to 1938, offering a remarkable snapshot of the films, prices and experiences that audiences enjoyed nearly ninety years ago.
As we work to create a modern venue for future generations, it's important to remember that we're building on a long tradition of entertainment, storytelling and shared experiences within the town.
🙌 Our growing team of volunteers
Following the launch of our volunteer recruitment campaign, we'd also like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has expressed an interest in getting involved.
The response has been incredibly encouraging, with people from a wide range of backgrounds coming forward to support the venue's future success.
Volunteers will play a vital role in helping to create a welcoming experience for audiences, visitors, performers and community groups. Whether assisting front-of-house, supporting events or helping behind the scenes, they will become an important part of The Royston Venue's story.
Community involvement has always been central to our plans, and we're excited to continue building a team that reflects the enthusiasm and passion we've already seen across Royston.
❤️ Thank you for your support
Whether you're attending our consultation, signed up to volunteer, completed our many surveys, shared an idea or simply followed our progress online, thank you.
The support we've received continues to be overwhelming and serves as a constant reminder of how much excitement exists around bringing this historic building back into active use.
Whilst there is still a significant amount of work to do, September has felt like an important turning point. The Royston Venue is no longer simply a building undergoing renovation; it's gradually becoming a living project built around people, ideas, creativity and community.
That's enormously exciting, and we're looking forward to sharing the next chapter with you soon.
🔮 Looking ahead
October promises to be one of our most important months yet.
Our community consultation event will provide an invaluable opportunity to gather feedback and continue shaping plans for the future, while work behind the scenes continues on operational planning, technical preparations and volunteer development.
As always, we'll keep sharing updates, stories and behind-the-scenes glimpses as the journey continues!
If you're a performer, promoter, community group, organisation or prospective volunteer interested in working with The Royston Venue, we'd love to hear from you.
📧 [email protected]
