Page Contents: Falmouth Culture

From lawn bowls to lavatory bowls, Falmouth can be something of a cultural enigma. One thing is certain: opportunities abound to fill the cultural void. At least until the cabin fever sets in.
Whether it be jousting and Hamlet at Pendennis Castle, Mark Thomas at the Arts Centre, Dragon Boat racing, Matisse at the Art Gallery or shaking your bits to thundering ska, there's a little something for everyone. Marvel at the windbreaks causing meteorological anomalies on Gyllyngvase beach, sheltering children eating clotted cream 99ers to cool their sunburnt chops; sample the abundance of sweaty caffs; dizzy yourself with stainless steel cruets and vinyl seating. The jewel in the café crown has to be the Rumbling Tum. As the culinary equivalent of H.Samuel, its dustbin lid-sized helpings will mount an impressive assault on your hangover.
Worthy of note - both as obvious starting points and the bastions of the Falmouth scene - are the Arts Centre and the Art Gallery. Save for the perpetual banner proudly announcing the arrival of Dolby, Falmouth Arts Centre sits quite innocuously as Church Street narrows towards King Charles the Martyr. With one foot firmly in the 1800s, the Arts Centre never seems hackneyed; an impressive inventory of exhibitions, theatre productions and films keep it fresh and interesting. The cream of art house flicks run alongside the Hollywood heavyweights, whilst the theatre brings the best of Cornish and national productions into the limelight. The Arts Centre reassures us that evolution has been unkind; we must be getting fatter, though as the dust of countless buttocks mushroom clouds beneath you as you squeeze your own into one of the auditorium's snug seats, Darwin doesn't seem important. When the lights dim and the curtain creaks back, the Arts Centre comes into its own. It's nothing fancy, but it is in this musty charm that lies its exquisite magnetism, that will ensure consistent custom should the multiplex ever get built just down the road. Aside from an unmissable line-up for the rest of the year, the good news is that over the summer, they've shaving off a row of seats to prevent friction burns on the knees of the loftier punter. Marvellous.
As for the Art Gallery, it sits above the municipal library on the Moor. As a finalist for the Guardian's Kids in Museums Campaign 2004, it certainly delivers the goods, in keeping with its eloquent grandeur and wonderful staircases. Thanks to a tenacious and committed curator the gallery continues pulling names such as Picasso, Henry Moore and Lee Miller into the fold. As with the Arts Centre, pompous musings and ribbed roll necks can be left at the door: Matisse shared the wall with work from local schools' art classes.
Whatever your bag, there's something here for you. Arguably, you make your own culture and with so many threads in Falmouth's - and Cornwall's - colourful cultural tapestry, you can happily tick the culture box, should it be after a visit to Stan's Game Exchange or discussing Nietzsche in the Seven Stars' back room. Go find out for yourself.

Jim Pyett

© Substance Magazine 2004