Woolwich Works, also known as Woolwich Creative District, is a multi-disciplinary cultural venue on the south bank of the River

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

in southeast

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, that opened in September 2021. It occupies a range of historic buildings at the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proof test, proofing, and explosives research for ...

, and includes a 1200-seat auditorium for concerts and events, a performance courtyard that seats up to 600, as well as offices, television studios and rehearsal spaces for resident companies. Future phases will include a 450-seat

black box theatre A black box theater is a performance space, typically a square or rectangular room, with black walls and a black, flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interact ...

and a riverside restaurant. Woolwich Works is situated close to the Royal Arsenal Pier and the new Woolwich Elizabeth line station.

History

The development of a creative district in the Royal Arsenal was intended as part of the

regeneration Regeneration may refer to: Science and technology * Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs * Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis ...

of the site that started in the mid 1990s, after the Arsenal ceased to be a military establishment. It is also seen as part of the wider regeneration of the Woolwich town centre. In October 2018, planning permission was granted by Greenwich Council for the first phase of a restoration of five

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

s in the historic Royal Arsenal, estimated at a cost of £31.6 million. The aim was to create a 15,000sqm complex of theatres, rehearsal studios, exhibition spaces and restaurants. Originally this development was known as 'Woolwich Creative District' but names of the district and individual buildings were later put to the public vote and in July 2019 the name 'Woolwich Works' was announced. The opening took place on September 23, 2021. The final bill came in at £45.6 million. It was anticipated that the new creative district will provide more than 400 local jobs. Chief executive is James Heaton. In June 2022 Woolwich Works reported being in financial difficulties and sought a two million pound loan from Greenwich Council. The Council indicated that it was minded to grant such a loan subject to various conditions.

Current use

Woolwich Works offers a variety of music, dance and theatre experiences, with an emphasis on

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

and

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

, and

stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...

. It is also the home of the

National Youth Jazz Orchestra The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), established as the London Schools' Jazz Orchestra in 1965, is a British jazz orchestra. History The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) was founded in 1965 by Bill Ashton. Based in the Royal Arsenal ...

, the

multicultural Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''ethnic'' or cultural pluralism in which various e ...

Chineke! Orchestra Chineke! Orchestra () is a British orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe to be made up of majority Black & ethnically diverse musicians. The word Chineke derives from the Igbo language meaning "God". The orchestra was founded by m ...

, theatre company

Punchdrunk Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse ...

, and dance company

Protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

. The

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

has been using the premises since 2016, long before Woolwich Works was established, and will continue to do so. The venue is also for hire for weddings, parties and conferences.

Facilities

The buildings that make up Woolwich Works are grouped in two clusters, located to the west and east of No 1 Street. The cluster on the west side of No 1 Street consists of two listed buildings: Building 40 and Building 41/41A; the cluster on the east side of No 1 Street comprises three listed buildings, Building 17, Building 18 and Building 19 (along with a modern structure between Buildings 17 and 18). The numbers refer to the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

building numbers. As of 2022 the buildings have been renamed as follows:

Academy

Building 40, the Old Royal Military Academy, is a freestanding building overlooking Artillery Square. It was built in 1718–23 on the site of a Tudor mansion named Tower Place. The brown-brick east façade has rich ornamentation. Behind the main façade were two principal rooms, either side of an 'entrance saloon': to the north, the Board Room (a meeting-''cum''-dining room for the

Board of Ordnance The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...

); and to the south, the Academy Room (for the training of recruits to the Board's military corps: the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

and the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

). Until 1807 the wing beyond the entrance saloon, to the west, housed the Ordnance Storekeeper (he had previously lived in Tower Place). After a period of delay, what became the Royal Military Academy was formally opened in 1741; it remained in the building until 1806, after which it moved to new premises on

Woolwich Common Woolwich Common is a common in Woolwich in southeast London, England. It is partly used as military land (less than 40%) and partly as an urban park. Woolwich Common is a conservation area. It is part of the South East London Green Chain. It is al ...

. The old building was then taken over by the Royal Laboratory, which used it to store

patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...

, and converted the Storekeeper's house into chemical laboratories. After the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

the building served as the Royal Arsenal Officers' Mess, until the closure of the Arsenal in 1994. It was then briefly used by the

Royal Artillery Museum The Royal Artillery Museum, which was one of the world's oldest military museums, was first opened to the public in Woolwich in southeast London in 1820. It told the story of the development of artillery through the ages by way of a collection o ...

and now houses Academy Performing Arts (part of Woolwich Works).

Workers' Yard

Building 41, formerly known as New Laboratory Square, consists of a quadrangle around a courtyard. The western elevation is the oldest part, designed by

James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...

as a storehouse for naval ordnance supplies in 1783. In 1808–10 the north and east wings were added as storehouses. By 1860 the complex had been taken over by the Royal Laboratory, mainly for the manufacture of

ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...

for small arms. The From 2003–18

Greenwich Heritage Centre Greenwich Heritage Centre was a museum and local history resource centre located in Woolwich, southeast London, England. Established in 2003 by the London Borough of Greenwich, it was managed by the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust from 2014 u ...

was located in the west range of the quadrangle. The courtyard, which can be used as a performance space for 600 visitors, is referred to as Workers' Yard. The central courtyard is used as an open air performance space. Around it are a number of venues for hire, the names of which reflect the former trades carried out there (e.g. Coopers Studio, Stitchers Studio, Ropekeepers Studio) and people who lived and worked in the area (e.g.

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

Gallery). The main entrance is at No 1 Street.

Fireworks Factory

Building 41A forms the south elevation of the quadrangle. With its characteristic glass façade and

saw-tooth roof A saw-tooth roof is a roof comprising a series of ridges with dual pitches either side. The steeper surfaces are glazed to admit daylight and face away from the equator to shield workers and machinery from direct sunlight. This kind of roof admi ...

, it was built as a carpenters' workshop in 1877–78. In the years leading up to the closure of the Arsenal in 1994, much of the building was in use as Customs and Excise stores; from 2001-2016 it housed the Cold War exhibits of Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum. From 2019–21 the entire complex was renovated and appropriated for use as a performing arts and exhibition venue, and renamed The Fireworks Factory.

Cartridge Factory

Building 17 dates from 1856: it is a two-storey, iron-framed block with two-colour brick walls. The cast-iron columns are a feature in the interior, which is said to be of 'considerable structural interest' as an early example of iron framing. It was originally built for the manufacture of

paper cartridge A paper cartridge is one of various types of small arms ammunition used before the advent of the cartridge (firearms), metallic cartridge. These cartridges consisted of a paper cylinder or cone containing the bullet, gunpowder, and in some case ...

s. From 2001-2016 it served as the main gallery space for Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum.

Laboratory

Building 18, originally the Royal Laboratory Offices, stands to the north of the Cartridge Factory and dates from the same period (though designed in a more classical style with a pilastered stone porch and a

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

). It was enlarged considerably between 1869 and 1877. Inside it retains original staircases. The building was converted in 1999–2000 to accommodate the Royal Artillery Institution Library, later renamed

James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his ''Asian Saga'' nov ...

Library, after its main sponsor. Buildings 17 and 18 were built as part of the Royal Laboratory within the Arsenal, which controlled the manufacture of ammunition. A modern infill of 1999–2000 connects the two buildings (it was built to provide an entrance and exhibition space for Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum). The buildings have not yet been fully integrated in the Woolwich Works project. In 2021 immersive theatre company

took a temporary lease of the buildings. Future plans will see the construction of a 450-seat black box theatre in the modern structure and the return of the

to Building 18.

Carriageworks

Building 19 was originally known as 'the mounting ground' – it was at this site north of the Royal Carriage Factory that guns were placed on their carriages. In the early 1860s the site was covered with an iron-framed and corrugated-sheet clad structure, which was replaced with the present larger and more durable building in 1887. It consists of three parallel sheds, of which the northernmost is shorter. The brick walls contain round-headed windows in relieving arches between pilaster strips. In the interior, tall cast-iron columns and beams for

gantry crane A gantry crane is a Crane (machine), crane built atop a wikt:gantry, gantry, which is a structure used to straddle an object or workspace. They can range from enormous "full" gantry cranes, capable of lifting some of the heaviest loads in the wor ...

s remain. In the early twenty-first century the building was used as a works depot for

Berkeley Homes The Berkeley Group Holdings plc is a British property developer and house-builder based in Cobham, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The firm was founded in 1976 by Tony Pidgl ...

's projects on adjacent sites.Saint & Guillery (2012), page 180–181. In 2021 Punchdrunk moved in and the venue was renamed The Carriageworks. The main entrances are on Cartridge Place (studios) and Carriage Street (offices).

Gallery

File:East façade of the Board Room, Woolwich (01a).jpg, East façade Academy and section of Fireworks Factory File:2022 Woolwich Works (01a).jpg, South-east corner of the quadrangle File:East Face of the Royal Arsenal Building 41 (04).jpg, East range and main entrance File:2022 Woolwich Works (03a).jpg, View towards Workers' Yard File:Royal Arsenal Former Paper Cartridge Factory Building 17 (I - Southern Face).jpg, Building 17, south façade File:Firepower - geograph.org.uk - 57579.jpg, Former Firepower museum entrance File:Royal Arsenal Building 18 (V - Northern Face).jpg, Building 18, north façade File:Southern Side of Royal Arsenal Building 19 (I).jpg, Building 19, south façade

External links

Official website Woolwich Works

Official website National Youth Jazz Orchestra

Official website Chineke! Orchestra

Official website Punchdrunk

Official website Protein

Official website Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolwich Works 2021 establishments in England Theatres in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Music venues in London Woolwich