Stanley Arts is one of South London’s foremost arts and performance venues, hosting cultural and community events out of their headquarters at Stanley Halls in South Norwood.

Built between 1903 and 1909 as a utopian civic project by local inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist William F. Stanley, the collection of Edwardian buildings was designed and built as a gift for the betterment of the South Norwood community. The complex housed variously a theatre, an art gallery, a technical school, society rooms and on site domestic accommodation for a manager. Designed by Stanley himself, the site displays several notable innovations demonstrating his multi-disciplinary endeavors across the sciences and the arts.

Since 2015 the site has been under the management of Stanley Arts, a community charity established to revitalise the Halls as an arts venue – staying true to the original vision of William Stanley, whilst reinterpreting it for a new century.

In 2020 Connolly Wellingham were appointed to report on the condition of fabric and prepare a Feasibility Study for the long term future of the site, including improving energy performance and accessibility across the complex. The study was used to secure funding for an initial phase of urgent repair works and strategic improvements to strengthen the flexibility of the site; refurbishing the historic art gallery to create a multi-functional community event hall and hot-desking workspace. The works were completed in summer 2022.

Building on the success of the initial works, a second phase of external improvements were completed in spring 2023, refurbishing the street-facing frontages and gifting new usable space, planting and seating to the public realm. Works included the restoration of railings, gates and lamp posts – collaborating with a locally based forge in Croydon to reinterpret the Edwardian metalwork designs evident in archive photography.