The Space is celebrating its 15th anniversary! From its humble origins in a derelict church the Space was transformed into a vibrant arts centre back in 1996. It is both an important creative hub, producing outstanding professional productions, and an asset for the local community. Over the years the Space has required a high level of commitment and dedication from its staff, volunteers and trustees. The incredible lengths that they have gone to in order to make the Space a success are recognised here in our feature ’15 people who shaped the Space’. Of course there are many others who have contributed, we would also like to thank all of our volunteers, artists, performers, supporters and audience members for making the Space such a great place to be.
Adam Hemming, Sir Ian Mckellen and Robert Richardson
13-15 in a series of 15 people who shaped the Space
Adam Hemming
After a short spell as Centre Administrator, Adam (pictured below) became Director of the Space in April 2005. His appointment marks a watershed in the history of the Space and the beginning of its transformation from a slightly struggling arts centre to a significant theatre venue with substantial community links. Adam is now the longest serving Director of the Space and has proven to be a competent organiser and talented theatre director in his own right. Soon after his arrival he also arranged for a group of volunteers to completely redecorate the interior, which has given it a more intimate feel for theatre productions.
The breadth of his contribution has been extraordinary because not only has he considerably improved the day to day management and operation of the Space, he has raised funds, developed an impressive group of volunteers, built strong links with many community organisations and developed a distinctive artistic policy to which he himself has been a major contributor.
Before Adam, the Space was simply a host venue; now it regularly produces its own shows and has a continuing programme of community activities all under its umbrella brand of SpaceWorks. The quality of the Space’s artistic output under Adam has soared not least because he himself has directed and acted in many of its shows. But in terms of shaping the Space, Adam’s most distinctive trademark has been the generosity with which he has encouraged other talent at all levels. Under his direction, the Space has truly become a place of opportunity for everyone from aspiring actors and directors to those who want some work experience in the office.
Many people comment that the Space’s defining feature is its warmth and the heartfelt integration of local residents into its artistic programme. He has nurtured so many young artists, who badly need encouragement and an affordable venue to stage their work. The diversity of the Space’s users and the palpable positivity radiating from its walls is testament to Adam’s generosity and inclusive outlook.
Adam would be the first to admit that he has not done all of this on his own but it would be difficult to imagine the Space as it is now without his determination, inspired vision and leadership.
Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen (pictured above left) is one of the most influential and acclaimed stage and screen artists of our time. His work in England and abroad has garnered countless awards and critical acclaim, including four Olivier Awards (including the title role in the National’s Richard III), and a Tony Award (Salieri in Amadeus). Sir Ian is also one of the most recognizable figures on screen, most recently as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. His work on screen has garnered him a Golden Globe and SAG award, three BAFTA nominations, and four Emmy nominations. He is also a supporter of the arts, and the Space is no stranger to his generous spirit.
When Robert Richardson began the mammoth task of transforming the derelict St Paul’s church into the Space, he managed to enlist the support of local resident Sir Ian Mckellen as one of the patrons. The support of Sir Ian was crucial in those early days, enabling Rob to gather more support, raise the profile of the project and encourage journalists down for a photo opportunity.
Sir Ian performed his ‘Knight Out’ event on the opening night, and played to full houses again on the 5th and 10th anniversaries. On the latter occasion, he brought along Gandalf’s sword and gleefully used it to cut the birthday cake. Unbelievably generous with his time and talents, Sir Ian would always stay on after the performance and talk to the audience individually.
Christian O’Connell ran a competition on his breakfast radio show where members of the public had to persuade celebrities to call in and be interviewed by the DJ. All the interviews were put on the website and the public voted for their favourites, the winners receiving a cash prize. With the deadline looming Robert and Adam approached Sir Ian and tried to explain what we needed him to do. On the final day of the competition, Sir Ian called in and gave a fabulous interview, talking about the history of the Space and singing the Coronation Street theme tune down the phone. We rapidly set about encouraging people to vote and whilst we didn’t win, we came in a hugely respectable third place! You can still find the interview on the XFM website:- http://www.xfm.co.uk/article.asp?id=83532
Sadly, Sir Ian’s busy schedule prevents him from joining us for our 15th anniversary but we count ourselves extremely fortunate to have a stage and screen legend associated with the Space.
Robert Richardson
The concept and the construction of the Space were very much the result of the vision, enthusiasm, determination and charm of one man, Robert Richardson (pictured above centre).
Robert sadly is no longer with us, having died at the age of 50 from a form of Leukemia in 2007, however, he was like a comet trailing light and inspiration through many people’s lives.
Back in the late 1980’s the Isle of Dogs was undergoing momentous changes, not necessarily to the liking of people who had lived in the area for many generations. At the time Robert was Deputy Manager of the Wigmore Hall and lived nearby in Hesperus Crescent. The church which now houses the Space was unused and falling down. Rob’s vision of transforming the building into an arts centre that would provide entertainment for the locality and hopefully draw in people from across London came at an opportune moment. The London Docklands Development Corporation was happy to provide significant funding for this idea that would bring culture and entertainment for the area and draw people in from outside.
Rob gathered around him various friends and supporters, formed a charity (in order to give the idea a “legal entity”) and then set about the onerous task of further fundraising and overseeing the construction and conversion work. It took him almost 8 years to acquire the building, restore it and create the Space as we now know it.
The Space opened in September 1996 with Rob as the first Director. Rob had very wide ranging interests, from classical and jazz music to being a keen supporter of Nottingham Forest and a proficient cross country skier. He liked to try new things and encourage others. He was a keen cyclist and having turned 40 he decided he would like to learn to ride a motorbike. Not one to do things by half –measures – he took a week off work, went on an intensive course and passed first time. Amanda, (his long time partner and second wife) was inspired to rise to the challenge and she in turn learned to ride a motorbike. Rob was never one to be possessive about things and given this nature it was no surprise to his friends when he decided after a few years that he would like to move on to a new challenge and pass on the Director’s post to someone young and talented. He went on to become part of the team that embarked on the £15m project to transform the derelict Roundhouse building in Camden into the lively and thriving art centre it has now become – he saw this vision become reality before he passed away. However, Rob always kept in contact with the Space, would come down and see shows and was always available to give support and advice to those who took on the role of Director.
An extraordinary man, much missed. Robert did more than shape the Space. He created it and he set the tone for the way in which the Space operates, as a genuine community in which everyone’s contribution is valued whether it be patrons, staff, board members or volunteers.
Robert’s vision for the Space went well beyond what can be seen today and ambitious plans to develop adjoining land are still being discussed albeit the current economic climate has forced them to be put on hold. They include additional activity rooms, a larger cafe/ restaurant and better support facilities such as box office and green room. Much of this was designed to create opportunities for young people in the area to learn practical arts skills. The current SpaceWorks programme is fully within this vision and its impact continues to bear witness to the way in which Robert’s original concept still shapes the Space today.
