Tate St Ives awarded Funding to restore the Historic Palais de Danse

Closed to the public for 65 years, this landmark building will be reimagined as a vibrant cultural and community space, revealing a unique 300-year story linking British art history – through the work of Barbara Hepworth, one of Britain’s greatest modern artists – and the building’s significance to the local community.

The Grade II listed Palais de Danse has played a vital role in St Ives’s artistic and social heritage. Originally a cinema and dance hall in the early 1900s, it later became Hepworth’s second studio from 1961 to 1975, where she created some of her most celebrated works, including the monumental Single Form 1961–4. This transformative project will restore key elements of the building, including the grid-marked floor in the lower workshop which still bears the outline of Single Form, and the dance hall, with its 24-metre sprung maple floor and recreated glassine screens designed by Hepworth.

The restoration will feature an immersive recreation of Hepworth’s workshop spaces on the ground floor, offering visitors a glimpse into her creative process. The first floor’s expansive dance hall will be revitalised as a ‘living heritage’ space, hosting performances, screenings, and community activities. For the first time, the yard outside will be opened to the public, providing a new workshop and outdoor space for hands on art making. Through year-round community programming, this will inspire creative skills development. Enhanced accessibility, including a step-free design, will also ensure the Palais welcomes everyone.

Anne Barlow, Director, Tate St Ives, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have secured funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Palais de Danse project. This brings us to two-thirds of our fundraising goal and marks a significant milestone in our journey to transform this historic building that, from 1961–75, was Barbara Hepworth’s studio where she made some of her most ambitious large-scale works. We are excited to be working towards re-imagining the Palais de Danse as a vibrant heritage site that builds on Hepworth’s remarkable legacy and actively engages our local communities.”

Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “One of the things that stood out for us with Tate St Ives and Palais de Dance was the huge impact this project will have on the community and people of St Ives, as well as the wider impact for Cornwall. The project will help boost the local economy and create new spaces for interpretation with creative engagement, and focus on developing young people through new skills and apprenticeships."