The period covered in this annual review saw The Piece Hall cement its position as a centre for trade, heritage, culture and community in the heart of Calderdale, with a unique offer designed for today’s audiences, retailers and artists, with regional, national and international appeal.
It included the fifth anniversary of the venue’s re-opening and marked a time of reflecting on its progress and looking to the future of this unique and precious asset.
The aim was to deliver a bigger, bolder and more inclusive programme and it was a year of firsts. The venue hosted its first Pride celebration, a House Weekender, the first Piece Hall Mela and included the start of the groundbreaking relationship with promoters Cuffe & Taylor (part of the Live Nation family) which saw 12 nights of world-class music in its biggest Live at The Piece Hall summer gig season to date.
Around 60,000 people attended shows from global stars like Duran Duran, Paloma Faith, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Sir Tom Jones, Paul Weller and Nile Rodgers & CHIC, delivering a multi-million-pound boost for the local economy.
A landmark number of 10 million visitors was reached in the first half of this year with the total since reopening surpassing 12 million by the end of the financial period. These figures were boosted by the success of events held to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee which saw 55,000 people visiting over the four days of celebrations.
Activities for families were plentiful with the courtyard hosting a beach and a roller rink during the summer months and a skating rink at Christmas. There were multiple arts and craft workshops throughout the year, both free and paid for, but often heavily subsidised.
As The Piece Hall’s profile continued to grow, so did its reputation. There were accolades aplenty with the building being recognised for its impact on tourism and also as an exemplar of place-making. It won several prestigious awards including the Yorkshire Post Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award, the Business for Calderdale “Promotion of Calderdale” award and the pan European award from The Academy of Urbanism for “The Great Place.”