Camden Roundhouse’s new £7m Creative Centre launches Friday, 26th November 2021

Work has started on a new state-of-the-art Creative Centre at Camden Roundhouse that we have supported with a sustainable design to more than double the number of young people it helps with the development of employment skills and opportunities in creative industries.

The Roundhouse currently works with 11-25s and the new £7.2 million creative space will give up to 15,000 people aged 18-30 the opportunity to develop their skills, create networks and boost their employment opportunities as the world opens up.

The new three-storey building is set to open in late 2022 and will boast large creative spaces that can be used for a range of activities, from rehearsal space for theatre makers and circus performers, to local youth community groups, poetry classes and the podcast studio led by the award-winning Transmission Roundhouse.

Our Colchester team has been appointed to provide building services design and BREEAM sustainability services.

Director and Building Services Engineer Wes Henderson said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Camden Roundhouse’s fantastic project to help thousands of local young people, who are facing exceptionally difficult challenges, to learn employability skills, express themselves, develop confidence, and grow for the future.

“We have a proven track record of helping to deliver large-scale projects that create long-lasting positive change in communities. We look forward to continuing our role at the Roundhouse which will in turn inspire the next generation of musicians and entrepreneurs at such a renowned venue.”

The project is also being developed by architects Paddy Dillon and Reed Watts, with key support from Borras Construction, Bristow Consulting and Momentum Structural Engineers.

The Creative Centre will include an affordable and flexible co-working area for young entrepreneurs, including meeting spaces and equipment, a triple-height studio for large scale performing, two multi-use studios and an enhanced employability and financial literacy programme.

The Roundhouse aims to open up opportunities in the creative industries to ethnically diverse young people and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Of the young people who take part at the Roundhouse, 58% are from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and 46% are from diverse ethnicities.

Marcus Davey, CEO and Artistic Director at Camden Roundhouse, said: “This new building has been many years in the development and it couldn’t come at a more vital time for young Londoners.

“It will open up opportunities in the creative industries to create more equal access to the jobs that young people want and in addition ensuring the sector better reflects society.

“The creative industries aren’t very diverse, but young people who access opportunities at the Roundhouse are, and this space will continue the step-change we want to see in diversifying the creative industries. We know this will be a home for the theatre-makers, music producers and creative entrepreneurs of the future.”

Of the £7.2m project cost, 90% has been raised so far, with money being donated by private donors and trusts and foundations, including a £1.5m donation from The Inflexion Foundation. The new creative centre would not be possible without the generous support of The Norman Trust who donated the land for the new building, Camden Roundhouse said.

Sanjeev Bhaskar, Roundhouse Trustee, said: “Creativity doesn’t belong to any one group. We are all born with the ability to imagine, create and innovate but not everyone has equal access. So it is important and heartening to see work beginning on the new creative centre, providing that access and opportunities to young people across all the wonderfully diverse backgrounds that London has to offer.”