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The Battersea Arts Centre (often abbreviated to "BAC") is a performance space near Clapham Junction in Battersea, London which specialises in music and theatre productions. It is best known as "The National Theatre of the Fringe" a venue where new productions are first performed and honed prior to tours or possible transfers to the theatres of the West End.

BAC pioneered the "scratch" methodology as part of its "ladder of development" for new work, where performances are shown at various stages of development to an outside audience, whose input and criticism guides the further evolution of the work.

Founded in 1980 in a Grade II* listed building which originally opened in 1893 as the Battersea Town Hall and converted to a community arts centre in 1974, the building was designed in 1891 by E. W. Mountford. It currently receives a grant towards the building's operating costs from the local Wandsworth Borough Council.

David Jubb is the organisation's artistic director. David is one of subsidised theatre's most respected producers and is a pioneer of 'creative producing' in the industry. Creative producing underlines BAC's artistic philosophy and, as such, has been the basis of creating one of theatre's most ground-breaking artistic programmes.

On 18th January 2007 a press release on the BAC website announced that Wandsworth Borough Council had notified BAC that it would be cutting a £100,000 grant to £0 and charging over £270,000 annually in rent and running costs. These cuts, the centre says, will make the organisation unviable and force it to close. The issue was raised at Prime Minister's Questions on 17th January 2007, Tony Blair said: "Battersea Arts Centre does a fantastic job. They should do everything they can to keep it open. It should be kept open."

The venue takes part in the annual London International Mime Festival.

Productions which were developed or started here have included

• Richard Thomas's early work as Kombat Opera including, Tourette's Diva, leading to the development of Jerry Springer - The Opera, which premiered here in 2002, before becoming a big hit at the National Theatre.

• Jackson's Way - the winner of the 2004 Perrier Award in Edinburgh. A one man show which both mocks the world motivational speaking and embraces it through encouraging 'pointless actions'.

Companies and artists performing at BAC have included

• Cartoon de Salvo
• Ra-Ra Zoo
• Gecko
• Blind Summit
• Kneehigh Theatre
• Shunt
• Will Adamsdale
• Stewart Lee
• Frantic Assembly
• Told By An Idiot
• Meadlew Rayken
• David Glass Ensemble
• Matt Fraser
• Patter
• Filter theatre
• Liquid Theatre
• Kaos

• Battersea Arts Centre