MEMBER PROFILE

CAST

Category:
Art, Education

CAST (the Cornubian Arts & Science Trust) is an arts and educational charity based in a late-nineteenth- century school building in the historic centre of Helston. First given to the town by John Passmore Edwards in 1897 as a School of Science and Art, the building was acquired for the trust in 2012 and now provides a thriving creative hub for Helston and the surrounding area, housing artists’ studios, a black box screening space, learning spaces and an excellent Café.

CAST works with artists, curators, writers and specialists from other fields, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, to develop professional expertise and exchange, to present examples of outstanding creative practice, and to create opportunities for audiences of all ages to experience groundbreaking cultural activity.

CAST’s free public programmes include looped presentations of moving image work by artists of international renown, as well as talks, workshops and one-off screenings that encourage interdisciplinary dialogue across the arts and sciences. CAST’s learning team works closely with schools, colleges and universities, providing immersive ‘Art Labs’ for primary schools, a Saturday club and a wide range of other initiatives connecting young people directly to artists.

Having grown out of a series of art conventions and residential workshops involving both local and international artists since 2010, CAST has maintained its commitment to enriching the cultural life of Cornwall and the South West well beyond its base in Helston. The ambitious 2016-18 Groundwork programme brought the work of international contemporary artists to beaches, historic buildings and sites of special interest from Porthcurno to Par, producing memorable and inspiring sights and experiences.

Since the beginning of the pandemic CAST has also taken its public learning programmes off-site and out of doors, creating a series of popular CAST-Off trails which provide families with the opportunity to participate in artist-led creative activities in beautiful and relaxed natural environments.