Jacksons Lane awarded lottery funds to mark 50th anniversary

Jacksons Lane is based in the former Highgate Wesleyan Methodist Church, which closed in the early 70s.

A group of residents, parents and campaigners, including future Deputy Mayor of London Nicky Gavron, worked to turn the disused space into a creative community hub.

Highgate resident Nicky Gavron was among a group of campaigners and parents who turned a derelict church into a community hub (Image: Jacksons Lane)

In 1975 they were granted a lease from Haringey Council and a small grant to develop the building for performances, children's activities, and community education.

In those early days it was run by a team of volunteers, who in 1983 saved the building from the bulldozers by fighting a plan to widen Archway Road.

Not long afterwards the building was Grade II listed and overhauled to turn the former church hall and schoolroom into a fully equipped theatre.

The former Wesleyan church was pegged for demolition under plans to widen Archway Road in the 1970s but the community came together to fight the scheme (Image: Jacksons Lane)

A further two-year upgrade took place in 2020 to bring the Edwardian building into the 21st century.

Over the years, the likes of Complicite, The Mighty Boosh, Out of Joint and Frantic Assembly developed work at the Highgate centre, which also supported the comedy career of Eddie Izzard and staged early shows by Little Britain's Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

Now specialising in contemporary circus arts and creative education with older adults, schools, and communities, it reaches 72,000 people annually.

As well as hosting world class performers, Jacksons Lane has served the community with pensioners' clubs, youth activities and an annual Christmas lunch for vulnerable folk (Image: Jacksons Lane)

The £206k National Lottery Heritage grant will help the arts centre stage a packed programme of heritage activities, community fun, and restoration projects throughout 2025.

It includes completion of crucial restoration work on the roof and the reinstatement of a stone cross above the entrance - recalling its origins as a church.

A stone cross, recalling the building's origins as Highgate Wesleyan Methodist Church will be reinstated at the entrance to Jacksons Lane (Image: Jacksons Lane)

A permanent archive will be developed in collaboration with Bruce Castle Museum & Archive, and the communities that have shaped the building's history will be celebrated with a ‘Memory Collection’ project and Oral History Collection, which will tour Haringey Libraries as a pop-up exhibition.

There will also be heritage social events, workshops, and open days culminating in a Birthday Street Party on 27 June 2025 at Jacksons Lane on the anniversary of the first performance.

Jacksons Lane is now a thriving centre for contemporary circus and community creative education and has £200k to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025 (Image: Jacksons Lane)

Jacksons Lane Executive Director and Joint CEO Hannah Cox and Artistic Director and Joint CEO Adrian Berry said: "We are incredibly grateful for this investment, which will enable us to deliver a year of ambitious and inspiring heritage activities, and celebrations.

"With our communities at the heart of this initiative, this funding will allow us to share our unique history with thousands of people across Haringey and provide training and volunteering opportunities, improve our environmental sustainability, and support vital restoration work on our Grade II listed building."