Jacksons Lane Celebrates 50 Years With National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant

Jacksons Lane has announced that it has been awarded a £206k grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support its ambitious 50th-anniversary celebrations. Thanks to National Lottery players, this milestone will be marked with a dynamic programme of heritage activities, community engagement, and restoration projects throughout 2025.

Founded in 1975 by members of the local community, Jacksons Lane has grown into the flagship arts and cultural centre of Haringey, reaching over 72,000 people annually. Rooted in its community and activist origins, Jacksons Lane offers a year-round programme of contemporary performance, participation, and creative education aimed at empowering diverse communities and breaking down barriers. Additionally, Jacksons Lane has established itself as a leading organisation in the creation, presentation, and development of contemporary circus theatre.

The '50 Years of Jacksons Lane' celebrations will include the completion of crucial restoration work on the building's roof, along with the continued retrofit of our LED lighting rig in the theatre, furthering an ongoing commitment to sustainability by reducing our environmental impact and carbon footprint. The Grade II listed status of the building will be honored through the reinstatement of a stone cross above the entrance, and a permanent, publicly accessible archive will be developed in collaboration with Bruce Castle Museum & Archive, making Jacksons Lane's history — and its role in Haringey's broader history — accessible to all.

In its 50th year, Jacksons Lane will also celebrate the many communities that have shaped that history through a large-scale ‘Memory Collection' project and the creation of a new Oral History Collection, which will tour Haringey Libraries as part of a pop-up exhibition. Additionally, there will be an enhancement of the already established creative engagement programmes for older adults, schools, and communities with Heritage Socials, Explore Heritage Workshops, and Open Heritage Days, designed to spark interest from new audiences.

Our Young Heritage Producers Programme will offer training and development opportunities for young people from Haringey and surrounding areas, particularly those facing cultural and financial barriers to entering the heritage and cultural sectors. This programme will also include the curation of an exciting public events series, culminating in a Birthday Street Party on 27 June 2025 at Jacksons Lane on the anniversary of our first-ever performance in 1975 with further details to be announced..

Finally, Jacksons Lane invites its communities — past and present — to join in to look ahead. Through a series of ‘think-ins' and community gatherings, ideas for Jacksons Lane's future will be explored, helping to shape the next chapter of the story.

Jacksons Lane Executive Director & Joint CEO Hannah Cox and Artistic Director & Joint CEO Adrian Berry said ‘We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for this investment, which will enable us to deliver a year of ambitious and inspiring engagement, 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 beyond. It will also provide training and volunteering opportunities, improve our environmental sustainability, and support vital roof and restoration work on our Grade II listed building.' 

Stuart McLeod, Director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support this project, which thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, will mean that more people will be able to get involved with, protect, and learn about the exciting heritage right on their doorstep. Heritage has a huge role to play in instilling pride in communities and boosting local economies, and this project is a fantastic example of achieving those aims.”

How to Get Involved: To stay informed about upcoming events and opportunities to participate in our memory-gathering initiatives join the mailing list here.

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