Haworth Tompkins helped the theatre to find a new home in a former public library (already relocated elsewhere) and to organise a series of public consultation and participation events to develop the brief and establish the feel of the new space.

These processes resulted in a temporary, experimental use of the building for the first years of occupation.

The first phase of work provided the theatre with an auditorium, a foyer and rudimentary back of house spaces on a very tight budget, allowing the organisation to establish itself in the community and to understand its future needs more clearly. Repurposed found objects, home-made elements and voluntary help all contributed to a sense of shared endeavour and common ownership.

The second phase, just completed, is a more permanent series of changes which have provided better facilities for staff and performers, enabled barrier-free access to the whole building for the first time, added a new performance and community events studio and meeting space, extended the public foyer and connected it to a new, fully accessible entrance courtyard which connects directly with the public street.

The attic of the building is now a well-equipped, daylit rehearsal space, allowing new work to be developed and tested on site as well as providing an additional multi-use space for community engagement and events.

Together with essential fabric and technical upgrades, these phased interventions have transformed the building into a powerful engine for theatre making and a welcoming, inclusive public gathering space for the local community.

The new Bush is now firmly embedded as an important part of London’s cultural infrastructure.