From a place of worship to a performing arts space, St James Pockthorpe's transformation into Norwich Puppet Theatre is an inspiring tale of how an ancient building became an innovative venue for the future.

First founded in the time of William the Conqueror, St James' Church was dedicated to two Apostles – St James the Great and St James the Less – and during the Middle Ages guilds were held there in their honour.

The church, which was once neighbour to a Carmelite or Whitefriars monastery, is in an area that was known as Pockthorpe, which centuries ago was a pleasant riverside village, but in the 19th century it was a notorious slum area.

St James Pockthorpe, in Whitefriars, was closed in 1972 and while its furnishings have been dispersed, the church's font, believed to be from the 14th century, can now be seen at the church of St Mary Magdalen, in Silver Road.

After its closure, St James Pockthorpe was used as a homeless shelter during the mid- 1970s before it was chosen to house the DaSilva puppet company and became the Norwich Puppet Theatre.

Ray and Joan DaSilva, whose puppet company was based in Godmanchester, picked Norwich to be the new home for their touring company because of the warm welcome they received during performances at Norwich Theatre Royal.

Ray said: 'Rowan Hare, chairman of the Norwich Historic Churches Trust, took Joan and I on a tour of the various unused churches.

'We looked at several, but it was when St James' rose dramatically into view as we drove over the hill of the inner ring road flyover that immediately attracted us.

'It looked so inviting, easily accessible from the ring road, a huge car-park nearby, and just a few minutes' walk from the cathedral and the city centre. So it all made sense.'

Realising the dream of a theatre dedicated to puppetry took more than two-and-a-half years of hard work, planning and fundraising by a committed team.

Tony Ede, who sadly died before the theatre opened, was a key player of the team as chairman of the steering committee, architect Peter Codling took on the task of designing the conversion, and a supporters' club called SNAP was formed.

Work began in 1978 and. as the practical conversion work got under way, the important task of raising the tens of thousands of pounds needed to complete the job continued.

Actor Richard Briers pledged his support and a leaflet in which he urged people to support the project was distributed with the slogan, 'String along with me'.

The Puppet Theatre project gathered funding from the county and city councils and local businesses, as well as donations of materials and help in kind.

Manpower Services Commission provided much of the manpower for the conversion work by using the theatre project for its work experience schemes.

And on December 1, 1980 the new Norwich Puppet Theatre opened with the show Humbug Humbug, an adaptation of the classic Christmas tale Scrooge.

Ray said: 'It was very rewarding to see the shell of a beautiful old building being brought back to life and having the people of Norwich and district back inside it again.

'After years of touring, sometimes to unsuitable venues, it was exciting to be able to participate in the creation of a special building for Britain equivalent to the famous puppet theatres of Europe.

'A place in which our company and others could perform in an environment particularly suited to our art form. We could not have done that without the support of local people.

'When the first night arrived on December 1, 1980 it was certainly a thrilling and emotional experience for all involved.'

After the opening, the venue continued to develop with the creation of the adjoining workshop and studio building called The Octagon, and the theatre's puppeteers and visiting companies have delighted countless audiences with their captivating shows over the past three decades as well as offering creative workshops to people young and old.

It has not always been a smooth ride, with funding often proving a challenge, but its dedicated team and local support have continually ensured the success of Norwich Puppet Theatre.

For example, the Puppet Theatre came close to closure two years ago after Arts Council England withdrew its annual �60,000, but it was saved after an Evening News campaign and after Norwich Town Close Estate Charity stepped in, and other donors made contributions.

Today, it is one of only two puppet theatres in England.

Ray, who along with his wife Joan ran Norwich Puppet Theatre until 1986, said: 'I am delighted that Norwich Puppet Theatre is celebrating 30 years. When we originally came up with the idea of setting up the Theatre, we were full of ideas and aspirations, but it was hard to envisage how things would be in five years' time, let alone 30 years!

The Theatre remains, to this day, a truly special place and it would not be here without the continued support of many Norwich people, I remember especially Tony Ede, chairman of the early steering committee and its enthusiasm for the project.'

See Monday's Evening News for a feature about some of Norwich Puppet Theatre's shows over the past 30 years.

Is your organisation celebrating an important landmark? Contact reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk