Y Muni

Looking back at how Theatres Trust has supported Y Muni over the years

Situated in the heart of the Welsh town of Pontypridd is Y Muni, a locally-loved arts centre with a unique history.

What we know today as Y Muni was originally built in 1895 as a Wesleyan chapel. The building was then later converted into a municipal hall before becoming an arts centre in 1980. Much of the original Grade II listed building has been retained, making this a unique performance space with a distinctive identity.

Though it is a vibrant place for Pontypridd’s community to gather today, this has sadly not always been the case.

We briefly added The Muni Arts Centre, as it was then known, to our Theatres at Risk Register in 2014 when its owner, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, announced that budget cuts meant it would have to close.

The local reaction to its closure and inclusion on the Register demonstrated just how much the arts centre was valued by Pontypridd’s community. In the years that followed Theatres Trust gave support to local groups interested in reopening the arts centre and continued to engage with the council.

To the local community’s delight, in 2021 the county council announced it would be committing £5.3m to redevelop and reopen the arts centre.

We welcomed the county council’s efforts to invest in the arts centre’s future, giving our support to its planning application in 2023 to make the building fit-for-purpose before re-opening.

In 2025 the restored theatre reopened as Y Muni and one year on the county council reports it has successfully cemented its status as a “key cultural venue” within the town, attracting more than 10,000 visitors in its first year.

This case study was produced as part of our Fifty@50 campaign to mark our 50th anniversary in 2026. 

Photo credit: Y Muni before refurbishment by Theatres Trust