This amazing, grade II listed building was built originally during the Victorian era as Bristol’s first major municipal swimming baths, before being converted into a pioneering dance centre in the early 1980’s.

Following the closure of the Dance Centre in 2015, the building has remained empty, unused and fallen into disrepair.

Working with the hugely inspiring Trinity Community Arts organisation, we have developed proposals to save and restore the original fabric and create a number of carefully considered interventions to transform how the space can be used.

Phase one of the proposed scheme will see the opening up of the sections of the front wall to create of a bright, new, welcoming reception area & box office that will act as a ‘shop window’ into the workings of this delightful and inspiring project.
A new, light filled circulation core in the south wing will allow all users access to all spaces in the building, whilst the opening up of the incredible, moth-balled, former boiler room at the rear and the creation of a new rooftop studio within the original rooftop reservoir tanks, will ensure that the building has sufficient space and flexibility to support a busy and wide ranging programme of community activities.
Whilst the restoration of the astonishing main studio will create a new highly flexible, performance and events space with a capacity of 650.
Phase 2 of the works will focus on the North Wing of the building where a brand new youth facility will be tailored to the needs of the area’s young people and be developed in collaboration with one of the city’s most exciting providers of youth provision, Young Bristol.

A huge boost was given to the project was in December 2023 with the granting of £1million of funding from the Community Ownership Fund and works are now underway to get the project on site in summer 2024.