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.
BAC pioneered the "scratch" methodology as part of its "ladder of development" for new work, where performances are shown at various stages of development to an outside audience, whose input and criticism guides the further evolution of the work.
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 early work as Kombat Opera including, Tourette's Diva, leading to the development of Jerry Springer - The Opera, which premiered here in 2002, before becoming a big hit at the National Theatre.
- Jackson's Way - the winner of the 2004 Perrier Award in Edinburgh. A one man show which both mocks the world motivational speaking and embraces it through encouraging 'pointless actions'.
Companies performing here have included
- Ra-Ra Zoo
- Gecko
- Patter
- Filter theatre
- Liquid Theatre
- Kaos
- Blind Summit
- Kneehigh
- Shunt
- Frantic Assembly
- Told By An Idiot
- David Glass Ensemble