Although the Save Our Watermans campaign did not succeed in stopping the closure of Watermans Arts Centre, the groundswell of support from people who care about the centre galvanised us to fight for the continuation of arts provision in Brentford.
Since the closure of Watermans Arts Centre on 11 April, the Save Our Watermans campaign has been renamed Brentford Arts Works and is made up of like-minded Brentfordians who are passionate about reopening and reanimating Watermans as an inclusive cultural and community space that is by and for the people of Brentford and the wider afield.
We are a group of volunteers who believe that Culture and Creativity are the cornerstones of prosperous and inclusive societies and the transformational power of the Arts has the potential to strengthen communities, enrich lives and embed a sense of pride in a local place.
We strongly believe, therefore, that cultural activity therefore must be celebrated and cultural facilities must be protected.
Brentford Arts Works is submitting an expression of interest for ‘Meanwhile Use’ of the arts building at 40 High Street to the London Borough of Hounslow..
Brentford Arts Works believes that there is a sustainable model to be had at arts centre – a model that is built around core live performance activity, with an exceptionally diverse range of ancillary activities for all. We are determined such a vital cultural and community space must not to be lost to the community; we also want to honour the mandate of over a thousand people who signed the online and paper petitions to save the Arts Centre. This was proof positive for our campaign and an indication of how vital a service this is to the community.
We have registered as a Community Interest Company which exists to benefit the community and all profits are reinvested back into community arts provision. The people running Brentford Arts Works are all volunteers with vast expertise in the arts and business sector and are working on a fully costed and deliverable business plan to bring arts and culture back as a community hub.
All donations will go towards our start-up costs, including the website, marketing, publicity and consultancy.
Help us keep the arts and culture in Brentford alive!
Brentford Arts Works 