Jacksons Lane Arts Centre (JLAC) is a multi-arts venue in
Highgate
Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross.
Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisat ...
, north London, located in a Grade II listed former Wesleyan Methodist church. The building is home to a 170 capacity theatre, a large scale dance and rehearsal studio, a cafe-bar and four other multi-purpose spaces. In 2022 it completed a large-scale £5 million refurbishment & redevelopment of the building with the majority of the funding coming from Arts Council England & Haringey Council. JLAC is now more accessible, has greater facilities, a larger front of house area and two new circus creation spaces.
Background
Jacksons Lane Arts Centre is based in Highgate, north London – a theatre, a centre for participation, and a space for new circus theatre companies and artists to create and perform. The venue has a history of innovative work including experimental visual theatre companies, contemporary dance and circus. It was acknowledged in Sideshow Magazine's 'State of the Circus' report as the UK's leading presenter and supporter of contemporary circus.
JLAC supports some 100 companies and artists every year. It offers mentoring, space, production, commissioning, technical support, promotion and production. In 2015 it commissioned two brand new productions as part of its 40th Birthday, involving emerging collective Silver Lining with Throwback and a brand new work from
Gandini Juggling
Gandini Juggling is a London-based contemporary circus company. Originally called Gandini Juggling Project, the company was founded in 1992 by Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala. Their initial works focused on fusing juggling with principles from ...
– Meta. Jacksons Lane was hailed as 'The Innovator' and 'a breeding ground for fast-rising talent' By Time Out London magazine.
JLAC hosts several productions each year as part of The London International Mime Festival and supports the annual Total Theatre Award for Circus at the Edinburgh Festival.
Established names and companies such as Complicite,
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spanned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three which aired ...
,
Shared Experience Shared Experience is a British theatre company. Its current joint
,
Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer.
Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...
,
Out of Joint
Out of Joint is a British and international touring theatre company based in London. It specialises in the commissioning and production of new writing, interspersed with occasional revivals and classic productions.
It was founded in 1993 by direct ...
and Frantic Assembly have all performed or developed work at Jacksons Lane over the venue's 48-year history.
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fl ...
and David Walliams (Little Britain) started out at Jacksons Lane.
Jacksons Lane was the venue for the
European Juggling Convention
The European Juggling Convention (EJC), is the largest juggling convention in the world, regularly attracting several thousand participants. It is held every year in a different European country. It is organised by changing local organisation com ...
in 1980.
Partners include
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhous ...
Crying Out Loud
"Crying Out Loud" is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season of the American sitcom ''Modern Family'', and the series' 143rd episode overall. It originally aired on May 13, 2015. The episode was written by Megan Ganz, Stephen Lloyd & Chuck T ...
, The Place and
Sadlers Wells
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
. JLAC is managed by a board of trustee.
JLAC has six spaces including its 170 capacity main theatre, as well as one of the largest dance and rehearsal spaces in the UK. The theatre itself won a RIBA Community Enterprise award for its design by Tim Ronalds Architects: '‘Socially, aesthetically and technically the design offers inspirational lessons" (The Architects’ Journal).
Funding
JLAC is funded by
Haringey Council
Haringey London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Haringey in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. As of 2022, Haringey is divided into 21 wards, ...
,
Arts Council England
Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...
,
John Lyons Charity
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
Highgate or Jackson's Lane Wesleyan Methodist church was opened in 1905, on the current site at the corner of Archway Road and Jacksons Lane. The building was of red brick with stone dressings, designed in an early Gothic style included a Sunday school and was designed by W. H. Boney of Highgate. The church seated 650 and the schoolroom 400. Jackson's Lane was well known during the 1960s for its community work. The church was closed in 1975 and reopened to begin its new incarnation as an arts centre and centre for the North London community.