We need your opinion!

Leave your comment to help our mission!

Our aim is to create an optimal multi-use community space on the ground floor of the Theatre. It would provide wheelchair-accessible adult and youth educational facilities, rehearsal rooms, and school function space. However, the theater is a listed building, and to do the necessary work we need the approval of the local planning authority (RBKC). We need your support - not financial support, but your opinion and enthusiasm.

Our Vision

The Aspect Foundation (a registered charity) offers a significant new opportunity to the community of Notting Hill and wider Kensington and Chelsea, through a vision to share its passion for high-quality chamber music within an interactive context.

From an entirely non-commercial perspective, the Aspect Foundation seeks to restore the extraordinary performance spaces that make up the venue once known as the 20th Century Theatre. It will create a superb 175-seat concert hall for the presentation of world-leading chamber music performances. 

Music Performance and Education Venue

We have been working hard, to find ways to bring this building back into public use. The re-opened 20th Century Theatre will deliver a performance program, arts-related education, and participation opportunities. This activity will bring substantial public benefit, primarily to the local community of Kensington and Chelsea, with an anticipated footfall of 50,000 using the venue each year.

A key aspiration of the Aspect charity is to attract new, younger, and more diverse audiences to classical chamber music. At this early stage in development, there has already been considerable interest expressed from diverse groups such as Nucleo (working with 400 primarily Global Majority children and young people), Carnival Village, and Spencer Stage School.

Who can use it?

Young, developing musicians and established practitioners will be able to hire affordable practice rooms, each acoustically isolated and equipped with a high-quality upright piano. Local community groups will be able to hire affordable meeting spaces and space for performance rehearsals and performances.

Youth music ensembles will also benefit from rehearsal and performance facilities. Or you will be able to simply drop in for a cuppa, coffee, cake, and a sandwich. The venue will be open all day for participation activity (including practice rooms), with some school groups and local community participants (e.g. mothers and toddlers) attending during the daytime. Performances will be staged two or three evenings a week with the additional potential for Sunday afternoon concert performances.

Historical Importance

As a Grade 2 listed building, there is clearly architectural heritage that should be accessible to the local community and to visitors from further afield. Restoring and refurbishing the building to maintain its original purpose, will allow for interpretation panels to be installed to highlight architectural features and to share the story of the building and its illustrious performance history. There will be an opportunity for local schools to engage with and learn about the heritage of the building alongside participation in the arts.

The new venue will play a key role in the regeneration of the Portobello Road area, helping attract more visitors and bringing audiences that will also stroll the streets and take advantage of retail outlets, coffee shops, and restaurants, in the vicinity. This is likely to bring substantial additional economic uplift to the immediate area. 

Public Access and Facilities

The venue will be open all day for participation activity (including practice rooms), with some school groups and local community participants (e.g. mothers and toddlers) attending during the daytime.

• We will provide high-quality practice rooms with upright pianos for lessons, music examinations, rehearsals, etc.

• Performances will be staged two or three evenings a week with the additional potential for Sunday afternoon concert performances.  

• The venue café will provide perfect relaxation facilities for audiences, users before and after the activity, and parents waiting on children and young people engaged in participation activity. 

A fully restored Auditorium

The fully restored auditorium will provide up to 175 seats. 22,500 people per annum will enjoy performances from world-class musicians.

Creation of a new Education and Participation Space

Creation of a new Education Space designed to accommodate dance classes, community group activities, rehearsals for schools as well as professional groups.

Music Practice Rooms

High-quality Practice Rooms with upright pianos will engage an estimated 7,500 users per year for general practice, rehearsals, and music examinations.

Cafe & Foyer

The venue café will provide perfect relaxation facilities for audiences, users before and after the activity, and for parents waiting on children and young people engaged in participation activity. 

Access for all

We are planning to install lifts and other works to ensure this historical building is accessible for all.

Economic and Cultural Benefits

This activity will bring substantial public benefit, primarily to the local community of Kensington and Chelsea, with an anticipated footfall of 50,000 using the venue each year. 

Not relying on Public Funding

The project is privately funded.