Historic South London house to reopen as arts centre

An historic building owned by Southwark Council is set to reopen as an arts centre and events venue.

The Grade II listed Kingswood House in West Dulwich, South London will be refurbished and run by the newly created, not-for-profit community interest company Kingswood Arts CIC.

Originally built in 1811, the property and grounds have been owned and managed by the council since the 1950s.

The house, which has previously been home to a small library and youth club, closed to the public in March 2019 because it was deemed unsafe for public use.

Jack Hartshorn, co-founder and general manager of Kingswood Arts, said: “We are so excited and privileged to be given the opportunity to reopen the doors of this amazing historic building.

"We will operate the building with care, creativity and consciousness of the environment, but most importantly, we believe that co-creation with the community here is the only way to make a genuine impact on people's lives."

Kingswood Arts will be holding a launch festival on the weekend of 8 and 9 April with music, food and drink, and a bouncy castle for children.