As many of you will know, Coda’s purchase of this old farm in 2005 was part of an ambitious plan to convert the site for cultural activity, and this has remained a goal for the Trust ever since. 

In recent years, our development plans have been based on our understanding and experience of the needs of our local community and in response to consultation with users and stakeholders. Today, we are absolutely delighted to announce that our development project has been awarded £340,000 by Arts Council England as part of their Capital Investment Programme!

Their award is a significant contribution to the costs of our development masterplan and will enable us, over the next 18 months, to improve our existing facilities and develop inspirational new spaces for creativity, ensuring we are fit for purpose for the next decade and beyond. 

The project will include:

• Significant upgrades and landscaping to our car park in the barn yard and Coda driveway to improve accessibility and safety
• Internal and external upgrades to our existing spaces to make them more accessible, better soundproofed and environmentally sustainable
• The transformation of the disused stable block, barn and cow sheds to enable Coda to diversify its work into new cultural activities and services, creating an atmospheric gallery, exhibition and workshop space and seven artists/makers studios
• The conversion of the old grain store barns (nearest the road) to create a large sound-proofed flexible workshop/rehearsal space to better accomodate larger groups of people
• (Our field to the north will remain a natural green field)

The project aims to create a truly inclusive and accessible centre for cultural and creative activity, enabling Coda to diversify our services and to build further engagement with our local community. 

We are so excited and delighted to be working with Arts Council England on this ambitious capital development project. As we celebrate Coda’s 25th anniversary, their investment, alongside other key supporters including Talbot Village Trust and New Forest District Council, will enhance our facilities to be accessible, sustainable and inspirational spaces for our local community for the future. 

We hope you are as thrilled as we are at this investment and the prospect of seeing this vision come to life. Thank you, as always, for your support and we will be sharing more information about the project as it develops over the coming months.