Cranleigh Arts, a thriving community arts centre in Surrey, is fifty years old.  Much has changed since its beginnings, and this book tells the story of the struggles and successes as it evolved from a small group of societies into a professional organisation beloved by the community. It is testimony to the army of dedicated volunteers, with the input and leadership of some remarkable people, who had the vision to transform a neglected school building into a cultural hub. There are lessons for the future too, as the place of the arts in the community remains undervalued as society and Cranleigh’s landscape changes. It has not been an easy journey but it emerged from each crisis stronger and better, dedicated to ‘enrich, entertain and inspire’ the people of Cranleigh.

The problems of finding resources, both financial and people, and of balancing what people want with what can be achieved within those limitations recur. The context of local government, arts policy nationally and the vagaries of economic ebb and flow provide the bigger picture. Under existential threat more than once, here is a case study of the precariousness of arts provision at a grassroots level. Saved by the determination of the community, its value was recognised and continues today. This story of corporate memory may make this and similar centres able to learn from the past and break the cycles of repetition that lead to failure.