Saltburn Community Theatre

Saltburn Arts Theatre and Community Hall was originally designed as a Primitive Methodist Church and School in 1904 by prominent Scottish architect George Baines who won an architectural competition with the design in 1905. The church, in the Regency Circus area of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, was opened in 1910. The buildings comprise an 'Arts & Crafts Gothic Revival' style church building and connected church hall, designed for school use.

It is constructed of orange red brick with bands of stone extending around the building at the level of the window sills and lintels. The battlemented porch has a deeply splayed stone surround and a tall 5 light glass window extends above the entrance into the roof gable. The windows have been sealed on the inside. There is a 3-stage square tapered tower in the northwest corner with tall louvered belfry openings, angled buttresses and a tall octagonal finial. The nave/auditorium has two 3-light windows on each side and tall 4-light windows in each of the paired gables that form the transepts. It has a black pitched roof with a decorative ridge.

The buildings ceased their church use in 1965, and were converted to community use as an arts theatre and community hall. In 1998 the Arts Theatre and Community Hall were listed (Grade II) after a strong local campaign to preserve the buildings in their current use. Saltburn Community and Arts Association, a local charity, currently manages the property. The church building has been converted into the theatre and the main entrance faces Albion Terrace.

The former chancel has been converted into the raised stage. It has a small forestage and a plain rectangular proscenium arch approximately 8m wide. The rear of the stage is polygonal, reflecting the shape of the former chancel. The former vestries on either side of the stage provide back of house facilities. The stage is set up for cinema as well as theatre use. The nave/auditorium is approximately 15.5m long and 10.5m wide, however, the transept area in front of the chancel widens to approximately 15.5m. The floor is flat and the fixed folding theatre seats are separated into three sections with two central aisles, seating 150 people. It has an ornate wooden single hammer beam roof, with ornate metal ties and an arch braced roof.

The adjacent hall sits behind the theatre and is linked by a passageway on the east side of the buildings. It has a full-width battlemented entrance porch facing Windsor Road. The gable above features a tall 5-light glass window, and the materials and architecture match the former church. The hall can fit 120 people and is used as a multipurpose venue.