Our Building in the Heart of the Community

Nora Street, Adamsdown, Cardiff.  CF24 1ND.   In the heart of the community.

Originally our building was an end of terrace two story dwelling house built between 1875 and 1879 as part of the mass housing for the ‘working classes’ during Cardiff’s growth from a sea port to a capital city.

In 1908, the then owners, the Lord Tredegar Estate, conveyed the property and adjacent land to the Church in Wales, who erected at the rear of the house a two storey mission hall.

The mission was administered through the Church of St Germans and the hall was used for a variety of educational meetings and religious purposes.  It was run by four sister nuns.

The buildings continued to serve the community through the inter-war years.  In 1932 the building was described as a ‘School for education of children and adults of the labouring, manufacturing and other poor classes in the parish’.

Declining numbers and the improving social standards of post war years saw the buildings fall into disuse.

In 1963 the buildings were sold to the Arts Council.  In 1968 the buildings were developed as a small studio theatre and rehearsal space for the then Welsh Theatre Company.  The building was named The Casson Theatre, and operated successfully for a number of years.  The theatre hosted performances by touring theatre companies, poets, and musicians.  Artists who performed here include Jake Thackeray, Peter Finch, Jessie Matthews and Steven Berkoff.

When that company folded, the building was secured and bricked up until a new use could be found for it.

For a brief period between 1979 and 1980 a section of the building was re-opened to provide schooling facilities for the children of the travellers’ community in Cardiff.

In March 1980, the Welsh Arts Council leased the Ruby Street premises to the Welsh Dance Theatre Trust to house the Cardiff Community Dance Project which had outgrown its first home at the Sherman Theatre.

A major building programme was then launched to provide two dance studios and associated office space.  The building was re-opened on 7th June 1982 by Princess Diana, and was named Rubicon.

Adapted from the original written by David Hughes.