Angela Sykes set to leave The Corn Hall in Diss after 15 years

A fan of the arts, who has been responsible for bringing some big-name stars to The Corn Hall in Diss, is set to leave at the end of this month.

Angela Sykes, who has been a central figure at the highly-popular St Nicholas Street venue for 15 years, said it had been a privilege to play a small role in its success.

First appointed as manager when Diss Corn Hall Trust took over the running of the site in 2009, Ms Sykes is the last remaining member of the original team.

“It has been a huge pleasure and privilege to be part of this amazing phase in the Corn Hall’s history and I am immensely proud of what we have all achieved,” said the 64-year-old.

“Working with our wonderful volunteers, hosting some brilliant performers from all over the country and being part of the great Diss community has been a joy and an honour.”

Following the Corn Hall’s successful application for Heritage Lottery Funding in 2015, which she considered as a game changer for the venue, Ms Sykes was an integral part of the team, overseeing the site’s £1.8 million refurbishment and extension – part of the town’s £3.1m Heritage Triangle project.

While it was closed, she took the Corn Hall on the road, presenting a programme of major acts in village halls around the area, before the venue reopened again in April 2017.

She voluntarily stepped down as manager the following year to become artistic programme manager, allowing her to concentrate on her first love, booking and hosting performers.

During her time in the role, Ms Sykes has helped welcome the likes of The Britten Sinfonia, Griff Rhys Jones, comedians Sara Pascoe, Henning Wehn and Mark Watson and Framlingham’s global superstar Ed Sheeran to the Corn Hall stage.

On Ed, Ms Sykes said: “He was part of our four-day opening back in 2010. It’s amazing to think that, at that time, he was pretty unknown; we paid him £50.

“Just two years later, he was one of the performers in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.”

Asked what she will miss the most about the Corn Hall, the Rushall resident said it would be the volunteers and staff, who have contributed their time and energy over the years to make the Corn Hall “one of the region’s leading venues”.

She added: “The public have supported what we have built here. I always liken being on duty at one of our events to being the host at a really great party.

“There is honestly nothing better than seeing a room full of people having a brilliant evening. Because my role has included booking the shows and seeing that enjoyment first hand, it has made the job all the more satisfying.

“When we started back in 2009, our ambition was that, one day, local people who wanted an evening out would say ‘I wonder what’s on at the Corn Hall?’ I am happy to think that we have gone a long way towards achieving that.”

Ms Sykes has no firm plans beyond her departure at the end of April, but said it had been a fantastic and full-on experience working for the Corn Hall.

She said: “I now look forward to taking some time to consider what the next chapter in my professional life is going to be.”