Queens Park Arts Centre

Queens Park Arts Centre’s Limelight Theatre has a 40-year history of brilliant live entertainment, from both touring companies and home-grown talent. Its intimate 120-seat auditorium (and licensed bar!) is the perfect place to enjoy quality entertainment at affordable prices.

Queens Park Arts Centre Queens Park, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 7RT (Free parking available on site)

THE HISTORY OF QPAC

Aylesbury’s Queens Park Arts Centre has been the hub, heart, and home of creativity and culture in Buckinghamshire for 45 years, with an ever-expanding programme encompassing workshops, performances, exhibitions, and events. In 2023, its amazing community of volunteers were awarded the Kings Award for Voluntary Service – the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer-led organisations.

School Years

Queens Park Arts Centre’s main Edwardian building was once Queens Park School, which opened in the early 1900s. Famous students include the poet Vernon Scannell, and local music legends John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett, who’ve returned regularly to perform at the Centre’s Limelight Theatre. Queens Park School was closed down in 1976.

Arts For All

At the end of the 1970s, funded by the then-Buckinghamshire County Council and under the artistic direction of Malcolm Thackwray, the building was transformed into a community arts venue, and commenced operations in 1980. Queens Park arts Centre initially operated only a limited programme of art-and-craft workshops. However, public demand saw the venue’s offer expand quickly. From the outset, great importance was placed on the Centre’s ‘Arts for All’ ethos, which remains the mission statement of QPAC to this day.

Lighting the Limelight

As the venue’s programme grew to include free-to-view exhibitions in its gallery spaces, and popular annual events including Open Days and Craft Fairs, attention turned to performing arts. QPAC’s Limelight Theatre – named by Dee Sanderson – opened in 1980 and quickly became a favourite of cutting-edge companies such as Theatre de Complicite, Hull Truck and Frantic Assembly. Over the years, live music and comedy joined the programme and the Limelight established a reputation as a launchpad for local talent, as well as a regular stop for national and international touring acts.

Becoming Independent

In 1998, Buckinghamshire County Council withdrew its funding from the venue and QPAC became an independent arts organisation and registered charity. Amanda Eels served as artistic director from 1998 to 2002, when the venue’s current chief executive Sarah Lewis took over and led the ambitious fundraising campaign to purchase the venue’s freehold and secure Queens Park’s long-term future.

More than £300,000 was raised over the next few years and QPAC’s purchase appeal was completed in 2009. Since then, the venue has been transformed both through refurbishment of its existing spaces, and through capital building projects to create new studios and facilities, including a full-equipped dance studio that is home to local dance / theatre school SDSD, and the newly-launched Performers Hub.

Hub, Heart, and Home

QPAC continues to be the jewel in Buckinghamshire’s cultural crown, thanks to its phenomenal creative programme. It hosts more than 100 drop-in art and craft workshops every week. There are free-to-view exhibitions all year round, and regular free events such as the Artisan Craft Fair. Community outreach projects reach thousands of people every year, providing vital high-quality artistic resources and continuing QPAC’s ‘arts for all’ ethos.

Its Limelight Theatre has become a powerhouse of original theatre productions thanks to in-house storytelling company Unbound, whilst the venue’s programme of performances continues to expand, including live music (be it blues, folk, country, rock, or tribute nights), the venue’s monthly comedy club and open mic nights, touring productions, or shows from other local production companies.

As a charity with a huge breadth of programming on offer and a continued commitment to provide affordable access to the arts, Queens Park Arts Centre remains the creative and cultural hub of Aylesbury & Buckinghamshire, and a much-valued community resource. Kickstart your creativity at QPAC by visiting www.queensparkarts.com.