NEW exciting plans have been unveiled to breathe new life into Tavistock’s old printing press building as a creative community hub.

The building (sometimes called the village hall of Tavistock), formerly housed printing machinery and offices for the Tavistock Printing Company and Tavistock Gazette, and has almost 50 years’ community use.

Now the trustees of The Printworks are re-launching the building as a multi-use creative hub to include a pop-up stage and art gallery.

In the long-term a major refurbishment of the listed building is planned. In the short-term the trustees aim to make more of the space, including creating a larger lower floor where the print machines used to whirr away.

To whet appetites two shows have been booked, a one-man comedy theatre company Stratford Productions, on Saturday, May 2; followed by punk poet Atila the Stockbroker, Saturday, May 30.

John said: “We already have a wide range of regular groups. But there is a need for a medium sized venue in Tavistock, for shows and for young people to be creative that fits in between the Tavistock Youth Cafe and Tavistock Wharf.

“We’ve created a Moroccan style cafe and will start to encourage young people to interact with each other musically and in other creative ways such a theatre and other ways of expressing themselves. This won’t be formal, but just to offer a productive sociable space where they can nurture their own and each others’ skills and talents.”

Volunteers to support the transformation can contact: [email protected]

Artist John Dixon, a trustee of Tavistock Printworks, is supporting a transformation of the building for wider community use.
Artist John Dixon, a trustee of Tavistock Printworks, is supporting a transformation of the building for wider community use. He is pictured looking at photos of its previous role with Tavistock Printing Company producing the Tavistock Gazette. (Tindle)
John Dixon in the main hall of Tavistock's Printworks which is part of a big community launch in May.
John Dixon in the main hall of Tavistock's Printworks which is part of a big community launch in May. (Tindle)
Printing on a small crafts scale still happens in the Printworks, which used to produce the Tavistock Times Gazette.
Printing on a small crafts scale still happens in the Printworks, which used to produce the Tavistock Gazette. (Tindle)
John Dixon, Printworks trustee, is encouraging wider use of the Printworks, which used to produce the Tavistock Times Gazette. It still operates on a tiny scale with a hand-operated printing machine.
John Dixon, Printworks trustee, is encouraging wider use of the Printworks, which used to produce the Tavistock Gazette. It still operates on a tiny scale with a hand-operated printing machine. (Tindle)
Tavistock's old Printworks is captured in its past life producing the Tavistock Times Gazette.
Tavistock's old Printworks is captured in its past life producing the Tavistock Gazette. (Printworks trustees)
Tavistock Printworks is due to as the public what they want from the building. Pictured is the former print room which printed the Tavistock Times and Gazette.
The Printworks is due to ask the public what they want from the building. Pictured is the former print room as it was when it printed the Tavistock Gazette. (Printworks trustees)