Battersea Arts Centre
The Battersea Arts Centre (often abbreviated to "BAC") is a performance space near Clapham Junction in Battersea London which specialises in music and theatre productions. It is best known as a venue where new productions are first performed and honed prior to tours or possible transfers to the theatres of the West End.
Founded in 1980 in a Grade II* listed building which originally opened in 1893 as the Battersea Town Hall and converted to a community arts centre in 1974, the building was designed in 1891 by E. W. Mountford. It currently receives a grant towards the building's operating costs from the local Wandsworth Borough Council.
The venue takes part in the annual London International Mime Festival.
Productions which were developed or started here have included
- Richard Thomas's first opera, Tourette's Diva, now known as Jerry Springer - The Opera, premiered here in 2002, before becoming a big hit at the National Theatre.
Companies performing here have included