Battersea Power Station Development Company

On behalf of the shareholders, Battersea Power Station Development Company has announced a £6.8 million first-year investment in a cultural programme that includes a new arts venue, public artwork and a sculpture commission as part of the regeneration of the iconic London location.

At the heart of the project is a vision to deliver a new cultural district for London that will build a sense of community and ownership around it and to widen access to culture for audiences in South West London. This is part of a long-term cultural investment that will take place over the multiple phases of the development as the new neighbourhood takes shape.

Battersea Power Station is pleased to be collaborating with a number of high-profile partners from across arts and culture, all of whom have a long track record of creating public projects that build a strong sense of community. Jude Kelly, who has been instrumental in developing London’s South Bank, has been a Cultural Advisor at Battersea Power Station for the last year. Other partners and advisers include; Battersea Arts Centre’s Director, David Jubb; CASS Sculpture Foundation as well as artist and designer Morag Myerscough, well known for her eye-catchingly bold designs that she has created for the likes of the Design Museum and British Council.

Circus West Village, the first chapter of the visionary Battersea Power Station regeneration project, is already emerging as a new food and leisure destination with some 23 independent retail units, including Copenhagen’s Mother restaurant, Fiume a restaurant by Francesco Mazzei and Boom Cycle, to open later this summer alongside the new residential buildings. The investment in the cultural and events programme, which will also include affordable work spaces and incubator retail space for the creative industries, will further establish it as a new cultural destination for London.

The £6.8 million investment will include:

• The Village Hall, a new 5,000 sq ft multi-use arts venue at Battersea Power Station’s Circus West Village, which has been created in partnership with the local Battersea Arts Centre. Located under the renovated Grosvenor Bridge railway arches it has capacity for 150 seated in the main hall with other, smaller rooms for community-focused activity, such as yoga and talks. As a new multi-use venue for South West London, The Village Hall will host an eclectic programme of theatrical and dance performances, comedy, workshops, talks and classes.

• Partnership with CASS Sculpture Foundation on Battersea Power Station Commission 2017, its first annual sculpture commission. The winner of this year’s commission will be announced in the coming weeks with the artwork being installed in September 2017 for a period of three months. This is the first of an annual commission to be exhibited across Battersea Power Station’s public platforms for three months each year. 

• A geo-linked educational Heritage Trail app with an augmented reality tour and games which will bring to life the rich history of the Power Station. The app, which will be free for the public to download, has been developed by Calvium and will be launched in the coming months.

• Acclaimed artist and designer Morag Myerscough will be unveiling a new public artwork at the entrance to Circus West Village in July 2017.

Jude Kelly, Cultural Advisor at Battersea Power Station, comments:

“I applaud the real commitment to culture and heritage that Battersea Power Station is making. It sets a precedent for other developers to ensure that culture is integrated into new neighbourhoods and also pays appropriate respect to local communities. I look forward to seeing how the artistic landscape of the South Bank can gradually be extended to South West London.”

David Twohig, Chief Development Officer at Battersea Power Station, commented on behalf of the Battersea Power Station Development Company shareholders;

“Real places are about activation and life. Battersea Power Station offers an amazing array of public spaces for people to work, live and play. Our approach is centred on active curation of a portfolio of internal and external public spaces so there are always activities that engage and surprise people. This announcement is our first test bed of those principles at Circus West Village and we look forward to extending that offer and working with more partners in the future.”

The Malaysian shareholders of the Battersea Power Station project are committed to giving back to the communities in which they operate. They recognise the importance of creating shared value and this is embedded in all their undertakings to ensure that they contribute to building a harmonious and caring community.

Follow @batterseapwrstn for the latest news and updates from Battersea Power Station including news on events taking place at The Village Hall at Battersea Power Station.

Further information about the new Village Hall and Events programme can be found at www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk/circuswest

 

About Battersea Power Station Development Company

Battersea Power Station is one of central London’s largest, most visionary and eagerly anticipated new developments in which roughly half the development comprises retail, shops, restaurants and office space – in addition there will be a six acre public park, town square and a new tube station (scheduled to be within Zone 1).

• The Battersea Power Station project is 42 acres and includes 3.5m sq ft of mixed commercial accommodation together with c4,500 new homes.
• The successful regeneration of Battersea Power Station will create 20,000 new jobs, inject £20bn into the UK economy and create a funding mechanism for the first major tube line extension since the Millennium.
• The Battersea Power Station Foundation supports local charities and community projects, in its first year of operation, £1m in grants will have been awarded, and close to £2m will be awarded in 2017.
• New home-owners have started moving into the first phase, Circus West Village, with the first commercial tenants opening in summer 2017. 
• Battersea Power Station is owned by a consortium of Malaysian investors comprising S P Setia, Sime Darby and the Employees’ Provident Fund. Management of the development is being undertaken by British based Battersea Power Station Development Company.