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On our YouTube channel we now have an illustrated presentation of our campaign to date (with voiceover and subtitles) created by our creative supporters team. Find out more about the theatre, its history and heritage and our campaign to save it.
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Today we have released information to the press:
See the full press release online.
Note: the Statement of Heritage Significance has been updated since initial publication. In addition we have created a Statement of Heritage Risk which incorporates information about the risk to Streatham Hill Theatre.
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The book The Streatham Hill Theatre – The story of a suburban theatre by John Cresswell is now available to buy on our new online shop. There’s limited stock so hurry for that unique Christmas present!
UPDATE March 2021: Sorry we are now sold out but are hoping to arrange a reprint.
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The announcement on what would have been the theatre’s 91st birthday, is some welcome good news at a time when the industry is in crisis.
The key points are:
The campaign’s new Patrons are past and present Streatham or South London residents and join a long list of local business, members of the community, public bodies, and creative sector supporters who all agree the building should be returned to public use.
Paul Merton, Comedian, Improviser, Writer and Presenter said:
‘Such an amazing array of stars played at the Streatham Hill Theatre back in the day. It would be wonderful to see this beautiful theatre brought back to life so we could enjoy watching the next generation of performers tread its boards.’
Samira Ahmed, Arts & News Presenter and Theatres Trust Ambassador said:
‘Opening up Streatham Hill Theatre to the public again would be truly exciting. What could be a finer community asset than this building?’
Sir Mark Rylance, Actor, Theatre Director and Playwright said:
‘I live very happily in South London as did my grandfather and great grandfather before me. I totally support the amazing efforts of the Friends to reuse this gem of a building for the community as an arts and creative hub.’
Robert Glenister, Actor said:
‘I applaud the Friends’ campaign to bring this wonderful theatre back to life and help make Streatham the place to visit for creative entertainment, as it used to be many years ago.’
The full Press Release is available, and you can see more about our Patrons on the supporters page.
In our vision for the revived SHT, as well as professional arts and entertainment, there will be a range of permanent and temporary spaces for rehearsal and performance use by local arts groups (e.g. drama, dance, music, choirs) and for use by community and education groups as meeting rooms, conference spaces, office and workspace, and for private events with hospitality.
To test the viability of these plans, we need to gauge the demand for the hire of the spaces within the building and what specific facilities are needed.
We will be using an online survey designed to collect information on the hiring potential of spaces and facilities that could be available within a re-imagined Streatham Hill Theatre.
We’d like to hear from you as an individual or as a representative of an organisation. The survey will be emailed out to all our members and supporters, and other potential users, and is available here too. The survey will be available until Sunday 8th November 2020.
The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre, supported by the Mayor of London, Lambeth Council and The Theatres Trust, and backed by a successful crowdfunding initiative, have started work with FEI, the successful bidders of a hard fought competitive tender to produce a Viability Study and Economic Impact Assessment on the historic building. This will deliver a report on the theatre’s potential to become a multi-purpose arts and culture centre for the local community.
The viability study has been funded following an overwhelming community response to a crowdfunding campaign by the Friends group of local volunteers. The Crowdfund London campaign gained 440 pledges, and won the backing of the Mayor of London, Lambeth Council and the Theatres Trust. It also gained high-profile endorsements from the creative community, including Baroness Benjamin DBE, DL, Simon Callow CBE, Lolita Chakrabarti, Catherine Russell, and Sir Mark Rylance.
To deliver this project, FEI have teamed up with theatre architects Aedas Arts Team, cost and programme consultants Pulse Consult, and creative industry economists Nordicity. They will look at different options for the future of the Grade II listed building as an arts and cultural centre, and then set out a robust and compelling case to decision-makers and interested parties to come on-board.
The full text of this press release can be found at http://resources.streathamhilltheatre.org/press/FoSHT%20Major%20leap%20forward%20in%20plans%20to%20save%20Streatham%20Hill%20Theatre%20as%20work%20begins%20on%20viability%20study.pdf
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The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre’s campaign is calling on creative industry professionals to lend their support.
When we worked to publicise the crowdfund earlier in the year, the Friends were fortunate enough to receive the backing of Simon Callow CBE, Catherine Russell, Lolita Chakrabarti, Lucie Shorthouse, Samira Ahmed, Sir Mark Rylance and Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE, DL. As we looked to reach out to others, we were amazed to find such strong past and present local creative industry connections, both in front of and behind the scenes. This led us to put together our Vision Statement to send out to creative industry professionals, mostly, but not all, with Streatham or South London connections, who would want to see our wonderful ‘Sleeping Beauty’ of a theatre restored as a vibrant creative hub for the wider community.
We’re launching our list of individual creative industry supporters on the 91st birthday of Streatham Hill Theatre on the 20th November 2020. In the meantime, we’re contacting creative industry companies and showing that they support the campaign by adding their logos here at our new website.  This is particularly important, as over the coming weeks, FEI, the consultants who won the tender for the viability study and economic impact assessment, will be wanting to look into any opportunities for collaboration as part of their studies.
We’d very much like to encourage any creative professionals or companies to email supporters@streathamhilltheatre.org to be included, and for those on social media to help us spread the word about the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre’s ongoing campaign!
Helena Breck, Jenny Eastop, Jane Goddard & Matt Haskins
FoSHT’s Creative Vision Statement Group
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When we started the campaign COVID hadn’t been heard of, there was a shortage of community space and workspace in Streatham and a desire in the community to save the practically empty SHT. This was an opportunity to help with the regeneration of the local area and local high street that was beginning to happen. It gathered wide support from the community, industry and local businesses. Streatham Space Project were supportive as they see the benefits of bring more footfall to Streatham with a bigger arts/culture/entertainment offer.
We were and remain clear that this revived building could not just be a theatre but had to have multiple uses, including working/meeting space, facilities for creatives and a potential home for creative organisations as well as event and performance spaces, food and beverage offerings etc.
As COVID has hit us, this need for flexibility and not being tied to a small number of offers has become more important. Post-COVID the potential for the revived building to help regenerate the local economy and bring the community back together will be even more important. Also, if business keeps working away from the office there may be the need for smaller co-working hubs more locally. The viability study and EIA will be looking at these issues and opportunities, and also consulting with other venues in the area.
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We have spent some of our volunteer time creating a new, easier to use website. Please explore using the menu above to see more about the theatre’s heritage and our campaign to revive it. Then you can join the campaign and help us take it forward.
We now also have online photo, video and audio libraries.
Our blog covers key events throughout the history of the building from the 1920s, and the story of our campaign right up to date:
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At our campaign meeting on 15th July 2020, Matt Haskins, international lighting designer, presented an illustrated history of the lighting control systems at the theatre. His slides are available here.
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