Theatre creates cooperative arts centre in archive building

Artist collective Scrum Theatre is opening a multi-disciplinary arts centre at the site of Hammersmith Council’s old archives.

The London-based charity, which was formed by theatre makers who transform disused buildings into pop-up arts hubs, has secured a two-year lease at the building on Talgarth Road in West London.

The site is now home to Scrum Studios, a venue with three rehearsal rooms, a playwright’s centre, a self-tape studio, a work room for scenic designers, prop makers and constumiers and a large performance space.

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From early 2025, work will begin on constructing a modular theatre in the old archive space, which will host Twelfth Night, the first production in the new venue.

Scrum Studios will also offer training programmes and subsidised creative spaces for theatre makers. After hosting artist development programme throughout July and August this year, it will open officially on 19 September.

The theatre’s co-leads, Lucie Dawkins and Dominic Applewhite, say the organisation came together to make the kind of home freelance creatives struggle to find elsewhere.

“To create, you need time, space, and people – three ingredients that a freelance system makes it hard to get hold of,” the pair said.

“In a time of crisis for the arts, we want to create a space where creatives can find their heat and light, so that we can help safeguard the next generation of makers and audiences in the UK theatre.”