Theatre503 to open new building to aid artist development

Revered south London new writing venue Theatre503 will open a second space in Nine Elms, it has been announced.

The new 320 square metre, state-of-the art studio space will provide space for early career playwrights to develop their work, while also working with the Nine Elms community.

The venue will feature a rehearsal suite, multi-purpose event spaces, a creative area for writers including desks and a reading room. It will also house the Theatre503 staff, who are currently located at the venue's Latchmere home in Clapham.

Lisa Spirling and Andrew Shepherd, artistic and executive directors of Theatre503, said: "The 503Studio at Nine Elms is a game changing moment in the history of Theatre503 and will have a seismic impact on the new writing ecology for generations to come. Diversity begins with who is telling the stories. While this has been a driving force in how we programme throughout the year, we cannot achieve this without actively seeking out writers and the artists who bring their words to life from all backgrounds and support them to put their work on stage.

"The 503Studio gives us the opportunity to take this commitment even further with a unique, world class centre opening up even more creative opportunities for all. It will be a vibrant, open, accessible and welcoming space where early career playwrights from all over the world rub shoulders with local residents looking for a creative outlet. The 503Studio will be a vital destination for writers of the future to find their voice, develop their craft and feed directly into the final productions in our Latchmere home."

The theatre's current home will also install a lift and refurbish its floor space to bolster accessibility.