Opened in May 2017, Storyhouse is a library, theatre, cinema, community hub, cultural centre and restaurant. Storyhouse had one million visits in its first year. The building was formally opened by Her Majesty the Queen and The Duchess of Sussex, on 14 June 2018.
The pioneering new library within Storyhouse, where members of the community work alongside city librarians, has the longest opening hours of any UK public library and is open every day until 11pm. Storyhouse offers over 2,000 activities each year for local marginalised groups, including autism friendly colouring sessions, sewing groups for refugees and regular classes for isolated and older communities.
The organisation houses a nationally-acclaimed theatre company with home-produced stage shows each year, including the first ever version of Enid Blyton’s The Secret Seven. Storyhouse also founded and runs the country’s most successful regional open-air theatre company, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, in the city’s main park, and an open-air cinema, Moonlight Flicks.
Storyhouse produces and is home to a number of specialist festivals each year, including Chester Literature Festival, WayWord half-term Festival, Storyhouse Women, Blink Festival for new parents, Love Later Life and The Great Get Together for older communities, Kaleidoscope Festival for adults living with a disability, Young Takeover, and Storyhouse Festival of Languages.
