We’re restoring and transforming a Grade I listed medieval building into a new heritage destination and creative learning hub for our region – and we need your support to make it happen.

Our £8.5m transformation of Canterbury’s historic Poor Priests’ Hospital will see more than 20,000 young people benefit from new studio spaces and creative facilities each year – while also welcoming more than 60,000 annual visitors to explore this 800-year-old landmark in the heart of our city.

The reborn Poor Priests’ Hospital will offer:

• New studios and creative spaces – allowing us to expand our work with young people.
• A new home for the Writers’ Room – the Marlowe’s pioneering initiative to support new and emerging writers.
• Dedicated studio space for Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures’ Cygnet School – a fully subsided dance training programme.
• A new heritage destination – a medieval landmark restored and reopened to the public, with free admission for all.
• New spaces for special events – from schools projects to heritage events and much more.
• A new riverside café – open to the public year-round.

Read on to discover the past, present and future of this special building, and learn how you can support our vision to revive it.

The Hive: A new creative hub for Canterbury

The Hive is the focal point of our transformation of the Poor Priests’ Hospital. This vital new resource will be a game-changer for Kent’s young people, who are set to benefit from a wealth of outstanding new facilities in a dedicated creative learning centre.

Young people are central to the Marlowe’s work, and the Hive will allow us to connect and engage with more young people than ever before – a five-fold increase, from 4,000 each year today to 20,000.

The Hive will be the permanent home for all the Marlowe’s creative learning programmes, with spaces and facilities expressly designed to support creativity and community. Its opening will mean we can:

• Expand our hugely popular Youth Company, which welcomes young people aged 5-17.
• Grow the Marlowe Academy for the Performing Arts (MAPA), our two-year educational programme for young people aged 16-19.
• Provide specialist studio space for Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures’ Cygnet School, a fully subsidised dance training programme based at the Marlowe.
• Work more flexibly and creatively with schools across Kent.

The Writers’ Room: Supporting new writers

The Writers’ Room is the Marlowe Theatre’s programme to support new and emerging writers for stage and screen. Led by playwright Leo Butler, the programme offers guidance, instruction and encouragement to budding writers looking to develop their creativity in a welcoming environment.

The Writers’ Room is currently based at the Marlowe’s building on The Friars – but the transformation of the Poor Priests’ Hospital will provide the programme with a new permanent home.

The Poor Priests’ Hospital: Heritage reborn

The Poor Priests’ Hospital dates back to around 1220, when it was built as almshouses to provide homes for local priests. Serving variously as a school, a clinic, a workhouse and the Canterbury Heritage Museum during its 800-year history, this important medieval building is now set to benefit from a major restoration – and will welcome the public once more.

The Great Hall, St Mary’s Chapel and other notable spaces will be fully and sensitively restored as part of our £8.5m transformation. Once complete, the building will reopen as a heritage destination – with family-friendly interpretation and newly commissioned artworks helping to tell the myriad stories that lie within these historic walls. Admission will be free to all.

Support our work

We need to raise £8.5 million to restore and transform the Poor Priests’ Hospital.

Thanks to a generous £4.4m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and significant support from trusts, foundations and philanthropists, we have made strong progress towards our fundraising target and are continuing to seek support to fully realise our vision.

If you’re interested in supporting this exciting project, whether through personal giving, business sponsorship or trust and foundation support, we’d love to discuss it in detail with you. Please contact Kate Bierman, the Marlowe’s Capital Campaign Director, on 01227 935767 or kate.bierman@marlowetheatre.com.

Thank you

We’re hugely grateful to the organisations, trusts and foundation who have already pledged their support for our transformation of the Poor Priests’ Hospital:

• National Lottery Heritage Fund
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• Clore Duffield Foundation
• Frank Brake Charitable Trust
• Christopher & Henry Oldfield Trust
• Wolfson Foundation
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