News

The Streatham Festival team approached the current owners Ruach City Church through the auspices of local MP Steve Reed’s office to ask for access to the theatre for this year’s (2025) Streatham Festival. There was the possibility for a concert, a comedy event and guided tours.

After a period of negotiations regarding content, costs and arrangements, only the tour is able to go ahead. Organised by our local open-access, volunteer-run, non-profit Streatham Theatre Company, there will be two tours on Thursday 16th October. Tours are free, but tickets are required from STC as numbers are limited.

Find out more at STC’s website.

From The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre:

The deadline of 30th May for comments on the application has passed and thank you if you have sent in your objections. There are delays between you sending your comments and them appearing on the Lambeth planning portal as they have to be checked by Lambeth officers and personal data removed. The case officer only works Tues-Thurs and there has been a high volume of comments. If you are still concerned, you can email the objections to planning@lambeth.gov.uk, giving the reference and your name/address, tell them when you submitted and ask for confirmation. More info on our campaign page here.

But if you haven’t sent in your comment it’s still worth a try! There have been several issues with the Lambeth Planning Portal along the way so hopefully they will look kindly on “late” comments.

We now have to wait for Lambeth officers to assess the application, taking into account the comments for and against, and make a recommendation. We then expect the application to go to Lambeth councillors on the Planning Committee for a decision. Looking at planned committee dates, this may take a few months!

There’s more on our campaign page.

We have spoken with Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, Councillor Donatus Anyanwu, and his Culture team. They are keen to get the Streatham Space Project up and running again with a new operator. They will be talking with the developer of the London Square site, and with Theatres Trust.

We have offered input and advice from Streatham’s skilled and experienced arts practitioners in SAC, to help with the selection process, and to engage with the operator(s). It would make sense to appoint an operator with a track record in the necessary capabilities to take on the space.

It is important that any new operator is able to meet the needs of local audiences and commercial users, as well as those of community groups wanting to make use of the space for their activities (at reasonable rates). And, of course, the space needs to be financially sustainable. SAC can help here too!

Theatres Trust can also provide support and advice to Lambeth and operators, and are happy to help SAC in our campaign too.

We have asked Lambeth to ensure that the premises and its equipment are looked after during the period of closure, to ensure they do not deteriorate and nothing is removed by anyone. Lambeth have told us that the developer is to carry out some remedial works while the space is closed. There is also an acoustic issue to be resolved involving leakage of bass noise from the premises.

We have also asked that “meanwhile use” of the premises should be made available, while an operator is found. For example, to host Streatham Festival events, as well as others. This would help local groups, and help protect the premises and equipment. SAC is happy to facilitate this.

Streatham Festival 2025 will offer a wide range of exciting events celebrating music, entertainment and visual arts – check out the website https://streathamfestival.com/

Wouldn’t it be good if Streatham Space Project was open again by then to host festival events?

Could this be the Final Act for Streatham Hill Theatre? Could we lose it permanently? Check out the latest from The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre and support their campaign here.