South Mill Arts

South Mill Arts sits in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, on the edge of the town centre. The complex includes a modern theatre and arts building alongside the 19th-century Netteswell House, where Cecil Rhodes was born. Next to it stands Bishop’s Stortford Museum, once part of the Rhodes Memorial Museum and Commonwealth Centre. The site was expanded in the 1960s and refurbished in 2005 to create a cultural hub. A café bar and exhibition gallery sit alongside the 300-seat theatre and a tiered auditorium. Films, live performances and art shows fill the programme throughout the year. The name change from Rhodes Arts Complex to South Mill Arts reflects local debate and national campaigns. The Rhodes Must Fall movement in the UK highlighted concerns about Cecil Rhodes’s legacy. In 2020 the charity running the venue adopted a new identity as Bishop’s Stortford Museum and Arts CIO. This followed earlier changes in 2005 when the trust became the Rhodes Birthplace Trust. The museum itself opened in 1938 in Netteswell House and its neighbour, now Grade II listed. Visitors find a 300-seat theatre hosting touring productions, dance groups and comedians. A multi-purpose studio space and exhibition gallery show contemporary art and photography. The café bar offers a place to pause between events. Bishop’s Stortford Museum next door tells the town’s local history. Netteswell House, the birthplace of Cecil Rhodes, remains a protected building at the heart of the complex.