Work to transform a Grade II-listed church in Ipswich into a live music venue with space for up to 225 people is underway.

St Stephen's Church in Arras Square, near the Buttermarket Shopping Centre, is being converted into a live music and community entertainment venue.

The church, owned by Ipswich Borough Council, will be equipped with new toilets, emergency exits, sound equipment and a stage and will also be soundproofed.

During the day, there will be a cafe and a meeting place for creatives, students and the wider community with the ability to host events and exhibitions.

The work is being carried out by Needham Market contractors, Mixbrow Construction, in collaboration with Historic England.

Suffolk Public Sector Leaders have supported the project, with £300,000 from the Suffolk Inclusive Growth Investment Fund.

Ipswich Star: L-R: Richard Hunt, Suffolk Inclusive Growth Investment Fund, Cllr David Ellesmere, Ipswich Borough Council, Hugh Bunbury, Nicholas Jacobs Architects, Marcus Neal, Sounds East, Joe Bailey, Sounds East, Stuart Oxborrow, Ipswich Borough Council, Charlie Barber, Mixbrow Construction, Mark Mann, Mixbrow Construction, Stuart McDonald, Ipswich Borough CouncilL-R: Richard Hunt, Suffolk Inclusive Growth Investment Fund, Cllr David Ellesmere, Ipswich Borough Council, Hugh Bunbury, Nicholas Jacobs Architects, Marcus Neal, Sounds East, Joe Bailey, Sounds East, Stuart Oxborrow, Ipswich Borough Council, Charlie Barber, Mixbrow Construction, Mark Mann, Mixbrow Construction, Stuart McDonald, Ipswich Borough Council (Image: Ipswich Borough Council)

Upon completion, the venue will be run by Sounds East CIC, which will support independent artists and provide new jobs and volunteer opportunities to staff the venue.

Councillor David Ellesmere, leader of Ipswich Borough Council, said: "This is an exciting development for our town, offering a new meeting venue by day and music venue by night or the benefit of all Ipswich residents.

"It's great to see this important church building in the centre of our town being brought back to life as a community space - bringing people together to enjoy music."

Sounds East CIC is an organisation formed by the team behind Out Loud Music which operates the popular Ipswich music venue The Smokehouse and organised Sound City events from 2019 to 2021.

Joe Bailey, director of Sounds East CIC, said: "The Sound City Ipswich festivals and our ongoing events at The Baths and The Smokehouse have proved the need for more live music infrastructure and cultural spaces in Ipswich.

"We're delighted to help create what we think will be a game-changing, iconic venue for the town."

The work on the venue is set to finish in spring 2023, and doors will open in the run-up to 'Brighten The Corners Festival' in June.