Skip to content
  • Our planned essential maintenance work on the council’s IT systems is now complete and all systems are now available. − We apologise for any inconvenience during our downtime. Find out more information on this work.

Cornerstone Arts Centre at the heart of a new culture strategy for South Oxfordshire

Arts and culture in South Oxfordshire has gone from strength to strength over the past year, with Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot at the heart of efforts to improve what’s on offer to the community.

Over the past year, the centre has seen more community groups adopt the centre as their location for monthly meet ups, seen sell out shows such as The Zoots, Primary School Assembly Bangers, Spires and Boden, Shaparak Khorsandi and more! Plus the introduction of the first pantomime at the centre in December, Cinderella, which saw new audiences coming to Cornerstone for the first time.

Off the back of the success of Cinderella, the Council is now working on a long term contract with a pantomime company so that Cornerstone Arts Centre can be the go to panto venue for families each year.

A year after it announced its plans to introduce an 18-month action plan to secure its future, Cornerstone is now ready to move into the next phase after a successful year.

South Oxfordshire District Councillors will be asked to approve the new phase in their Cabinet meeting in June, which will also see the adoption of a pathway to a new Culture, Heritage and Creative Industries (CHCI) Strategy for the district as a whole, which will be adopted in summer 2026.

In February 2024 Councillors approved the first phase of the plans, with a vision for Cornerstone to maximise its community benefit and financial efficiency, and to establish its long-term sustainability.

Some of the improvements already planned for the next year, as part of a second phase, include:

  • A food and beverage review to be undertaken for the Café at Cornerstone
  • CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) of £405,000 will be used at the centre to improve the outdoor social area, Box Office, toilet facilities, and give the auditoriums sound and lighting an upgrade
  • Decarbonisation funding awarded to South Oxfordshire District Council by the government will be used to install air source heat pumps and solar panels early next year, which will help reduce the centre’s carbon footprint

Cllr Georgina Heritage, Cabinet Member for Communities at South Oxfordshire District Council said: “Cornerstone really is a go to venue for residents in Didcot and surrounding villages for great entertainment, classes, culture and coffee!

“We’re really proud to run a venue like Cornerstone with something for all ages to enjoy. Over the last year the team at the centre have worked hard to introduce even more to their programme and engage with their visitors to find out what they want to see at the centre.

“It was great to be able to book an act such as Bill Bailey, coming this September to the centre which sold out in no time!”

The second phase of the action plan will see South Oxfordshire District Council work alongside Vale of White Horse District Council on the development of the Culture, Heritage and Creative Industries (CHCI) Strategy, which it is hoped will also support economic growth in the districts linked to the STEAM agenda, skills and learning, destination management and the visitor economy and support employment in creative industries.

The Strategy will put Cornerstone at the heart of arts and culture in the district and look ahead to 2026-2030. It will focus on the operation improvement of Cornerstone Arts Centre, providing a valuable public service of entertainment, skills and learning, health and wellbeing and community cohesion.

The CHCI will see the council working with key partners such as the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport, Arts Council England (ACE), Oxfordshire County Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve arts and culture accessibility and experiences across the district.

With the second phase of work the council will continue its aim to reduce revenue and increase the value of Cornerstone as the go to arts venue in the area and its importance to the community.

Cllr Heritage added: “The next phase of our Action Plan will see further improvements, not just to the programming but also to the venue itself. The Culture, Heritage and Creative Industries (CHCI) Strategy will enable us to have a four year plan and set the vision for arts and culture not just at Cornerstone but across the district and emphasise how important the arts sector is in South Oxfordshire for businesses and the health and wellbeing of our residents.”

The Cabinet meeting takes place on Thursday 5 June. The full report is available to view on the Council’s website.

Find out more about Cornerstone Arts Centre at www.cornerstone-arts.org

Notes to Editors

STEAM agenda is the Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics