Theatre News

Battersea Arts Centre to offer 'pay what you decide' tickets from 2021

The south London venue says the move is designed to widen access to its performances

© Morley von Sternberg

Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) has announced it will move to a 'pay what you decide' pricing model early next year.

From Spring 2021, instead of fixed ticket prices audiences will be invited to pay what they would like in order to attend performances.

Tarek Iskander, CEO and artistic director of BAC, said the decision was prompted by the pandemic.

"This year has thrown difficulties and hardship at everyone, and we've been forced to make some hard decisions," he said. "But this disruption of ‘normal life' has also given BAC the space to do some radical thinking about how we can best support our community and the inspiring people we work with."

The move – which will make every performance at BAC accessible for free – is part of the venue's radical new business model designed to widen access.

Iskander, who has been in post since May 2019, added: "We have found the resilience and flexibility that BAC has shown throughout its history, to adapt in challenging circumstances and step up to meet the needs of our community."