Sitting opposite the Brentford Ait bird sanctuary, on the north shore of the River Thames, the Watermans building also looks over to Lot’s Ait and offers a calm sanctuary from the rush and noise of the main road.
Watermans Park and the Arts Centre site may have been where Julius Caesar forded the River Thames in 54 BC in order to cross to the northern bank.
The river was dredged here in the 1800s and Brentford Dock was established, presaging a 200-year history of industrial activity.
The whole of what is now the Watermans Park and Arts Centre site was occupied by the Brentford Gasworks; barges came up the River Thames to deliver coal and huge cranes and structures dominated the Brentford skyline. When the Gasworks finally closed, in the 1970s, plans were drawn up in order to develop a community arts centre on the site.
This plan was realised in 1980 with a building designed by Architects Oscar Garry and Partners. Over the past 40 years the Arts Centre has been a physical and cultural landmark for Brentford and the surrounding areas. The Arts Centre has a strong history of innovation and became a very popular venue offering live music, comedy, art exhibitions, theatre, cinema and good food.
Many famous names appeared at the centre early on in their careers – stars such as the comedian Jo Brand, comedians and actors, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal as well as super stars such as Elvis Costello and Ravi Shankar. The author Robert Rankin was writer in residence at the Arts Centre and Melvyn Bragg, now a regular on BBC Radio 4, also appeared there.
Brentford Community Works aspires to re-open and re-invigorate the centre by offering more of the cultural and community events that have attracted so many people from the local and surrounding areas for over 40 years.
The world needs art and culture in difficult times!!
The Arts bring people together to share experiences and make connections.
Join Brentford Community Works in our drive to retain an Arts Centre on the banks of the River Thames in Brentford.
This plan was realised in 1980 with a building designed by the Architects Oscar Garry and Partners and over the last 40 years the Art Centre has been a physical and cultural landmark for Brentford and the surrounding areas. The Art Centre has a strong history of innovation and was a very popular venue offering live music, comedy, art exhibitions, theatre, cinema and good food.
Earlier on in their careers many famous names appeared at the centre such as the comedian Jo Brand, comedians and actors, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal as well as super stars such as Elvis Costello and Ravi Shankar. The author Robert Rankin was writer in residence at the Art Centre and Melvyn Bragg, now a regular on BBC Radio 4 also appeared there.
Brentford Arts Works has the aspiration to re-open and re-invigorate the centre by offering more of the cultural and community events that have attracted so many people from the local and surrounding areas over the years. The world needs art and culture even in difficult times!! In times of turmoil and conflict, art emerges not just as a form of expression, but as a profound force for communication and reflection.
Art can bring people together to share experiences and make connections. Join Brentford Arts Works in our drive to retain an Art Centre on the bank of the River Thames in Brentford.
colour paintings by Wendy MacKenzie
Brentford Arts Works 