During the summer and early autumn 2005
• Meeting with representatives of performance groups in the area,
• Starting to visit recently built theatres and a concert hall in the South-West;

29 September 2005: meeting of local performance groups at the Chantry. Unanimous agreement that ACT should go ahead with its vision;

15 November 2005: public meeting at the Armstrong Hall. An enthusiastic audience of almost 200 people voted overwhelmingly to support ACT's proposal to raise funds to build a new performance and arts venue in Thornbury;

1 December 2005: a meeting with the Community Development Department of South Gloucestershire Council confirmed that the market site was still available. It was open to a group which had the finances and wanted to build a community facility. ACT was acknowledged as the first group to have expressed interest in this site.

28 February 2006: a letter was received from Thornbury Town Council, stating that "members agreed, in principle, to support the aspirations of ACT to provide a performance hall in Thornbury";

15 March 2006: Barbie, Lyn and Philip set up the Steering Group to carry forward ACT's project. Philip was elected as Chair, Dylan Griffiths as Finance Director and Lyn as Company Secretary. These 3 would be the Executive Committee. ACT would seek to be a company limited by guarantee and also a charity, of which members of the Executive Committee would become the Directors and later, the Trustees. The remaining members of the Steering Group would become members of ACT;

At the same time ACT invited 4 people to serve as volunteer consultants -
• Peter Floyd Town planner
• Richard Harrop Businessman
• Michael Kirby Legal adviser
• Peter Muschamp Retired Ofsted chief inspector (drama and the arts)

24 November 2006: ACT became a company limited by guarantee (No. 6009419);

February 2007: ACT opened its first bank accounts at NatWest with a generous donation of £4000 from the Thornbury Plays (2000);

18 May 2007: ACT hosted a Launch to celebrate the first year of action, promote the project and start the fund-raising challenge;