An Overview of Demelza

Overview / Vision 

House of Damnation CIC is pleased to be launching ‘Demelza: Queen of the Tin Mines’ a Cornwall-based, community-led mobile performing arts and culture hub, taking our ethos of ‘education through entertainment’ to the most rural and isolated locations throughout the Duchy. 

A combination of rural geography, poor transport links, and the concentration of the arts in cities and coastal hubs has left many rural communities disconnected from the vibrancy, self-expression and solidarity enjoyed by those with access to the arts. 

As a double-decker executive coach reborn as a fully equipped mobile arts venue, Demelza aims to change that by taking the stage, the exhibition, the gallery and the library on the road. 

From St. Just to St. Mellion, Kilkhampton to Kynance Cove, Demelza will bring the power of performance, the joy of creativity, the wonder of reading and the curiosity of exhibitions to places where such experiences are hindered by often insurmountable travel needs. 

This is more than just a community bus. Demelza will be a vehicle of change, connecting parishes, performers and people who deserve to feel seen, celebrated and part of something bigger, with audiences that want those experiences, but have so far not been able to access them. 

Through this consultation, we’re inviting you – residents, community members and allies to have a say in how Demelza is designed: what should she be able to do? Where should she be able to go? Who should be able to use her?