Friends of the Minories

The Trustees have developed this website in answer to the considerable current interest in the future of the Trust's main asset - The Minories

Update - 10 May 2008

Colchester Institute Celebrates the Lease of The Minories

The Trustees of the Victor Batte-Lay Trust (VBLT) and Colchester Institute are delighted to confirm that the College has officially taken over tenancy of The Minories, and will occupy the building with immediate effect. Colchester Institute was selected as tenant following a public tender process, and was confirmed by a formal voting by the Trustees.

A spokesperson for the Trust said, "The Trustees believe a very positive solution to the future of The Minories has been found, which would have the blessing of our benefactor, and will ensure that the community which Mrs Batte-Lay wished to benefit from her generosity will continue to do so."

They continued, "Colchester Institute ticks all the boxes and the team involved in the presentation won the support of the trustees. With the new tenant, The Minories will continue to be open to the public and provide a service which will have wide-ranging appeal and accessibility, whilst at the same time complementing regeneration activity in the locality, including firstsite's new building.

The Minories will provide a learning facility appropriate to and in support of four exciting new postgraduate courses at Colchester Institute, which have recently been validated by the University of Essex and sees the first intake of students on three of these programmes in September. The Masters in Art in a Social Context is running this year. These new postgraduate programmes are innovative and unique courses, which focus individuals on the use of the arts in celebrating, enhancing and improving cultural, commercial and business environments. The first floor will therefore be developed as studio, seminar and lecture spaces directly supporting the academic endeavour. This learning environment is being complemented by provision of a public art gallery, shop and café on the ground floor, which will operate under Colchester Institute also.

Exhibitions in the ground floor galleries will fulfil the Victor Batte-Lay Trust requirements of meeting the artistic needs of the people of Colchester. The first exhibition, to open in early June 2008, will include works by students and tutors who attended Colchester Institute in the '50s and '60s.

Other planned exhibitions include a selection of works from the permanent collections of Colchester Art Society, Colchester Borough Council and the Batte-Lay Trust, as well as exhibitions by prominent local artists.

The Centre for Art, Design and Media at Colchester Institute engages with local practitioners, organisations and industry in the form of projects, commissions, exhibitions and consultancy in the furtherance of the creative industries and The Minories makes an ideal setting for these activities.

Alan Smith, Head of Centre for Art, Design and Media, confirmed, "Our vision is to establish a vibrant educational centre in the heart of Colchester's emerging cultural quarter, which is artistically accessible to the local and tourist community. We are very excited and look forward to calling The Minories our home."