A gallery in Canterbury city centre has displayed its last piece of artwork - as the venue prepares to be transformed into a performance space.

The Sidney Cooper Art Gallery, which has showcased hundreds of art shows, workshops and films has now ceased exhibiting work.

Plans are afoot to bring the centre, which opened as an art school in 1868, under the wing of The Marlowe Trust.

Named after city artist Sidney Cooper, the high street building was left to the Canterbury Corporation in 1882 and has been displaying work since.

A planning application has been submitted to the city council as the Trust seeks approval for its proposal.

The design and access statement reads: “The Marlowe Trust proposes to use the Sidney Cooper Centre to support the rehearsal and production of its theatre work, including the creation of set and props, the storage of costume and props, and rehearsal, meeting room and office space associated with this work.

“The work on site will support our educational outreach programmes, creative development opportunities for local artists and co -production opportunities for work with national and international touring theatre companies.”

In a separate document, the Marlowe’s chief operating officer Paula Gillespie says the plans will help develop the Theatre as a whole.

Canterbury Christ Church University (CCU) has been using the centre to showcase student artwork since 2004. But CCU spokesman Emma Grafton-Williams has confirmed the university has bowed out of the venue.

“After hosting over 150 exhibitions the university ended its tenure of the Sidney Cooper Gallery in June,” she said.

“The decision was approved by the senior management team and the Governing body in order to consolidate our estate on the North Holmes campus, as part of the estate master plan.

“We are very proud to have offered a showcase to so many students, national, and international artists during our time here. The university will be building on this legacy and moving its exhibition work onto its main campus, including in the new Daphne Oram creative arts building, which opened in January 2019.”

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