St Mary’s Chapel is a redundant Victorian building located in the grounds of St Mary’s Church and has not been used in a religious capacity since 1940. Up until the 1970s the building was used as offices and more recently a storage room. It is in a good state of repair and is not a listed building. Most recently the Chapel has been completely cleared in preparation for its conversion to its proposed use as an arts space and exhibition area.

The Chapel is situated within St Mary’s Ward, Andover, and located close to existing cultural and educational facilities. The government has identified St Mary’s Ward as an area with a degree of deprivation.

Over the last 3 years Test Valley Borough Council has been working to create  partnership support by which the building might again be used by the local community and for the local community. Test Valley Arts Foundation (TVAF) have become champions of the idea to reinvigorate and convert the Chapel into a dedicated Arts studio and exhibition space. The project to turn the chapel into a fully functioning arts space is being lead by TVAF as the third sector partner in partnership with Test Valley Borough Council and supported by Hampshire County Council. A legal agreement will be established between Test Valley Borough Council and the TVAF Trust to which a peppercorn rent will be agreed. Whilst ownership of the Chapel is and will remain with Test Valley Borough Council, the running and management of the building will be the responsibility of TVAF.

This arrangement will be of great benefit to the Foundation in promoting its key objectives which are to encourage arts and music in the Test Valley, to support local cultural activity and help talented individuals and groups to develop their work, to raise funds and give grants twice a year and to promote a variety of artistic initiatives within Test Valley and attract support from far beyond the region for its cultural objectives.

The project is designed to help aspiring artists develop their careers, to play a part in the Andover Vision, a plan for a more prosperous, a more entertaining and a more inclusive Andover, with a bright future for all. And the aim is to give this historic building a new lease of life that can be fully enjoyed by local residents to expand their cultural experiences.

 

The ‘Chapel Arts’ project