NEA Since Reopening in Numbers

A Snapshot of What We’ve Built Together

On Wednesday 23 April 2025, NEA officially reopened its doors after 165 weeks of construction. What has emerged is far more than a building, it is a thriving creative and community hub shaped by collective effort and care.

Thanks to £5.2 million raised in capital funding, and the vital support of our funders and partners, NEA is now home to over 4,000m² of creative and community space. The site includes a 96-seat theatre, 72-seat café, two wood workshops, five multi-purpose studios, six artist studios, four offices, a music studio, greenhouse, one-to-one room, and a ½ acre garden including a pond, a sandpit and a bothy.

Since reopening, it’s been brilliant to see NEA becoming a lively and welcoming place for people of all ages and backgrounds to come to together, enjoy activities, play, explore and have fun in. We are proud to now have 589 members, including 454 Ordinary/Community Owners, 70 Associate members, and 65 Youth members, reflecting the strong sense of shared ownership at the heart of NEA. You can learn more about the NEA Membership here.

Each week, NEA is open for 51 hours, hosting 21 regular activities across 43 hours, alongside performances, workshops, meetings and community gatherings. To date, we have hosted 1,986 events and welcomed over 1,000 visitors every week.

Our café has also become a favourite local spot to meet, serving an average of 120 orders per day.

Behind every number there are moments of creativity, connection, learning and belonging that make NEA the space for all the community. We are grateful to all our capital funders, members, artists, volunteers, staff, audiences and supporters who have helped make NEA what it is today. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

You can view a full list of our capital funders here.