Get to know the venue
theBROADWAY is a unique new performance and entertainment venue in Barking town centre. Previously known as The Broadway Theatre, the building was a 'municipal hall' of some architectural significance, designed by Herbert Jackson and Reginald Edmonds in 1936 and completed in 1969, forming part of the Barking Town Hall complex. The venue has now been completely modernised and redesigned by Tim Foster Architects, and includes a stunning new glass facade, an auditorium with flexible seating, with a capacity of 341 (which can be altered to accommodate up to 850 for a standing event). The venue is now managed by an independent trust, with registered charitable status, and is aiming to improve access to arts facilities in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the surrounding areas of East London and Essex.
New backstage, scenery production storage and rehearsal rooms, bar, box office and foyer area, technical services areas are also provided, all completely accessible for employees and customers with disabilities. A terrace to the front of the building overlooks the Barking Abbey and a new landscaped park area, with views of Canary Wharf and the Millennium Dome.
The basement of theBROADWAY houses a large education suite of fully equipped dance studio, music teaching rooms, stagecraft workshop, recording studio, drama and technology rooms, for the Barking College School of Performing Arts, a school that is gaining in reputation through providing high quality access level courses in performing arts. This new accommodation enables the College to increase its capacity and the course provision to include stage management, lighting and stage design, as well as technical and theatre management.
theBROADWAY has been redeveloped as a result of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and Barking College School of Performing Arts working in partnership, with funding from the Council and the College, the Learning and Skills Council ,Barking Town Centre Partnership SRB and the London Development Agency .
As part of the Thames Gateway Development area, Barking town centre is a major site for cultural and social regeneration. theBROADWAY is one of the first completed regeneration projects planned for the area and, as the borough's flagship venue, forms part of the Council's vision for a cultural hub in the town centre along with artists' studios, a lifelong learning centre, library and exhibition facilities.
