Harrow Arts Centre facts for kids
The main entrance to the Elliott Hall building, Harrow Arts Centre.
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| Address | 171 Uxbridge Road, Harrow HA5 4EA London Borough of Harrow England |
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| Coordinates | 51°36′31″N 0°21′50″W / 51.6085°N 0.3638°W |
| Capacity | 404 and 120 |
The Harrow Arts Centre (often called HAC) is a cool place in Hatch End, London Borough of Harrow, where you can enjoy and learn about arts. It's in North London, inside the Elliott Hall and other buildings that used to be part of a school called the Royal Commercial Travellers School. It's the only place in the area specifically for performing arts, like plays, music, and dance.
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History of Harrow Arts Centre
The main building, Elliott Hall, was built way back in 1904. It was the big assembly hall for a much larger school building. Sadly, that bigger building isn't there anymore. The hall is named after B. G. Elliott. He used to be a student at the school and later helped raise money to build the hall.
From School to Arts Centre
The Royal Commercial Travellers School closed down in 1967. After that, the Harrow Council bought the land. They used it for Harrow College of Further Education and St. Teresa's School.
Harrow College of Further Education closed in 1987. Just one year later, the arts centre started operating there. Since 2007, the Harrow Council has been in charge of running the Harrow Arts Centre. Before moving to Hatch End, the Harrow Arts Centre was in a smaller place in Harrow Weald. That old building was taken down, and now a DIY store is there.
What Happens at Harrow Arts Centre?
HAC has two main spaces for performances, plus dressing rooms. There's a special dance studio and five art rooms. You can also find an ICT suite and eight other rooms for rehearsals or meetings.
Performance Spaces
The Elliott Hall is the biggest performance area. It has 438 seats, so lots of people can watch shows there. The Studio is a smaller, flexible space. It has 120 seats and is often used for more experimental shows.
Art Galleries and Exhibitions
The Gallery at HAC is a modern art gallery. You can see different art shows there. There are also exhibitions displayed all year round in the Corridor Galleries.
Events and Workshops
HAC offers many performances, events, and workshops throughout the year. Some are planned by the HAC team, and others are put on by groups who rent the space. They often work with local community groups and schools. For example, in 2012, they helped create a mural with students from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School. This mural is in the subway next to their school.
Other Services at HAC
Besides the HAC team, the building also houses Harrow Music Services. The Harrow Council's Adult and Community and Family Learning Team is also based here. Two companies, Srishti and Bearfoot School of Performing Arts, are based at the centre.
You can also find Hatch End library inside the arts centre building. Hatch End swimming pool is right next to the dance studio. There's a cafe called Simply Daisy's and a bistro. They are run by the same company that owns the popular Daisy's in the Park cafe in Pinner. In 2019, a contest was held to find an architect. Chris Dyson Architects won the chance to design new classrooms and workshops for the Gallery.
Elliott Hall: A Special Building
The B G Elliott Hall is a very important building. It is listed as a Grade II building. This means it's a historic building that needs to be protected. It was the assembly hall for the Royal Commercial Travellers' School. That school building was much bigger, but it was torn down. A supermarket now stands where the old school used to be.
National Heritage describes the Elliott Hall as "Neo-Tudor" in style. It has red bricks and stone decorations. The building has many windows with special frames. The entrance is at the west end, with square towers at the corners. These towers have a walkway connecting them.
