WILLESDEN TRADES HALL

The Willesden Trades Hall and the London Apollo Club

The Willesden Trades Hall and the London Apollo Club is a building of significant political, social and cultural importance for the Labour movement, the Afro-Caribbean community in London and the people of Brent. An iconic site for radical and cultural activism, in recent times the building has fallen into disuse. The Hall is owned by the Willesden Trades Hall Charity who is a grateful recipient of resilience funding from The National Heritage Lottery Fund and The Architectural Heritage Fund. We are now commencing the reinvigoration of this legacy building for the twenty first century and the Trustees have appointed the London Historic Building Trust as Project Managers for a year long funded resilience project. During this period, in consultation with stakeholders and local communities, we aim to define how this building’s rich legacies can migrate into the future.

The Hall’s Legacy and the Future

Following the reorganisation of employment structures, the de-industrialisation of the 1980’s and the retreat of collective bargaining, the Hall, its funding and its activities have slowly declined. Simultaneously the Apollo Club has ceased to operate. The building itself has been neglected and is need of attention, some urgent. The Charity has been formed to seek solutions for the buildings’ future.  As a part of The National Heritage Lottery Fund award we will pursue a broad community consultation to inform how to best care for the buildings legacy, and how it can migrate into the future. The Charity has the firm and broad intention of creating new spaces for radical activism, emancipation and the arts: one that provides for local and national community needs through facility for education, activism, practices of community care, and the cultural and creative enterprise that reflects the diverse constituents of Brent.

The Building

In that respect the Charity has appointed Adjaye Associates as Lead Consultant for the Heritage Fund Resilience Project. Adjaye Associates will define a practical and creative direction for the renovation and development of the building long term that has an affinity with the area and its communities, and that is sympathetic with and can bring creative vision to bear onto the ethical, cultural and radical ambitions of the Charity as it reflects the material legacy of the building and its historical activities.

The Board

The board of the Willesden Trades Hall Charity is a gathering of local stakeholders, community leaders and cultural activists: Alan (Chair), Mary, Diane, Angela, and Charlie.