The Pearce Institute was designed by Sir R. Rowand Anderson and opened in 1906.
It is a combination of Dutch and Scottish Renaissance architecture. Its exterior features are crow stepped gables, a tower with a balconied cupola, oriel windows, a clock, and a fully rigged sailing ship finial.
The MacLeod Hall has a magnificent organ, stage and gallery. The original reading Room is now the Lithgow Theatre which is used by many community groups.
There is also a dining room, kitchens, a Billiard Room as well as many other rooms.
The Institute is now run as an independent voluntary organisation retaining its traditional links with Govan Old Parish Church.
There was a need for regular drama workshops and the Penny-Geggies Youth Theatre was formed and now numbers about sixty young local actors led by the Artistic Director, Claire O'Hara.
Director Frank Miller, formed the professional company , CRAN, now the PI's residential Co.
Their first commission was from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra who chose Govan as the ideal community for a project investigating people's sense of their own culture and belonging. A week-long music and performance workshop led to the performance of 'WE' by local people and SCO musicians.
Frank Miller heard about the tragic events surrounding the deaths of 124 ship workers at the launch of 'The Daphne' in Govan in 1883 and set about writing and directing the play performed at the PI's Lithgow Theatre. Someone from the Citizens Theatre saw it and they were invited to take it there the following year where it was such a success in the Circle Studio that they were invited to return with another play, the 'Rent Strike'.
This also appealed and they are now in the process of taking another play , dealing with the UCS work-in to the Citizens next year.
Interested in Drama? Contact Frank Miller at CRAN;
0141883 4334
April 2000; Taken from the corner of Harmony Row at Govan Road, just outside St Anthony's.
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