The Coronet - Our Vision

OUR VISION A DEFINING CULTURAL LANDMARK IN THE HEART OF LONDON’S ELEPHANT & CASTLE

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THE VISION The Coronet is a multipurpose events space located in the very heart of Elephant & Castle, just two minutes’ walk from the Elephant & Castle underground and mainline train stations.

As a venue with the flexibility to cater for between 50 and 2800 guests, we are in a prime position to play host to truly diverse events, appealing to local, national and international audiences.

We host music concerts of every genre, and offer a wide range of events for the broad spectrum of community groups in the Elephant & Castle area. This enables us to play a key role in supporting London’s unique cultural diversity and in drawing visitors to Elephant & Castle, which provides a positive social, cultural and economic benefit to the area.

We want to continue to be a part of Elephant & Castle’s regeneration; we have up to £2 million earmarked for investment in improvements to the current building: and we plan to bring an even wider range of events to this vibrant and unique space.

This document sets out some of the ways we plan to continue and enhance our community offering.

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HISTORY OF THE CORONET The Coronet has been a fixture in Elephant & Castle, providing a cultural hub and local community resource, ever since its founding as the Elephant & Castle Theatre back in 1872.

The current building dates from 1879, and was designed by renowned theatrical architect Frank Matcham. It was here that Charlie Chaplin first performed as a child actor.

The theatre is also the first that Matcham designed independently. Matcham has been widely celebrated for his designs, which include the Hackney Empire (1901), the London Coliseum (1904), the London Palladium (1910) and the Victoria Palace (1911).

In 1928, the theatre was converted to an ABC Cinema. The Coronet then underwent alterations in 1932, under the capable direction of William Riddell Glen, FRIAS, LRIBA (1884-1950) who was one of the leading cinema and theatre architects of the period. The venue was remodelled in partnership with Associated British Cinemas (ABC), and is one of the earliest examples of Glen’s designs for ABC. Having survived the blitz, the Coronet still retains a number of notable architectural features which include the main 1930s Art Deco auditorium and proscenium as well as other decorative features, including stylised grille work to the sides and top of the ante-proscenium.

The venue has continued to entertain throughout the years in its various incarnations; from the Elephant & Castle Theatre, Theatre Royal, ABC, Coronet Film Centre and now as the Coronet.

As one of the few surviving historic buildings in the area, the Coronet is an important landmark that provides a glimpse into Southwark as well as London’s rich cultural heritage and history.

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THE OLD AND THE NEW We are proud of the Coronet’s history in Elephant & Castle. In everything we do, there is a recognition of the vibrant history of Southwark and Elephant & Castle, and the Coronet’s place within it.

The venue is recognised by the Theatres Trust and we have been placed on their Theatre Buildings at Risk register. We also work closely with the Walworth Society, a community organisation which provides a voice for local people and which campaigns to preserve and protect the area’s rich architectural heritage.

We recognise the value of Elephant & Castle’s past, but we also fully welcome the ongoing work to improve and regenerate the wider area.

We want to integrate the Coronet into the redevelopment that is taking place across Elephant & Castle, blending the history of the Coronet with these new and exciting plans. By refurbishing the Coronet to its former art deco glory, we believe the venue can be recast to become the premier cultural resource in Southwark to match the transformation of Elephant & Castle.

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CORONET OF THE FUTURE The Coronet may formerly have been a palace of entertainment for South Londoners, but our events now draw people from the length and breadth of the UK as well as further afield.

We welcome over 250,000 people through the doors of the Coronet every year. Our patrons use the excellent local transport links when attending the Coronet’s events, and contribute to the local economy through their use of local restaurants, bars and other amenities in the area.

As the regeneration of Elephant & Castle unfolds, the Coronet is dedicated to playing a part in this story and maintaining its role as a key element of the unique cultural heritage of the area.

With up to ÂŁ2 million earmarked for investment in the building and plans to bring a whole host of events south of the river, we want to help make Elephant & Castle a focal point for culture in London.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER The Coronet is a unique art deco building which boasts original features and a wonderful history. With the ability to cater for 50 to 2800 guests over 5 distinct spaces, the venue is an ideal place to stage a broad range of events including: live gigs, club nights, indoor festivals, private parties, product launches, photo shoots, film location work, sporting events, exhibitions, conferences, fashion shows and much more.

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LIVE MUSIC The Coronet has played host to a number of renowned musical artists throughout the years.

Previous performers include: Professor Green, Mumford and Sons, Tinchy Stryder, Tim Minchin, The Fall, Faithless, Groove Armada, Will.i.am, Kelis, Tinie Tempah, The Maccabees, Eliza Doolittle, Fischerspooner, Annie Mac, The Good, the Bad and the Queen, Mos Def, Oasis, Placebo, Justin Timberlake, Primal Scream, The Libertines, Macy Gray, LCD Soundsystem, Alicia Keys, Franz Ferdinand, Blur, Hot Chip, Tom Jones and Peter Gabriel amongst many more!

We are also an important performance space for local and upcoming musicians of all genres who have graced the stage of the venue.

With an excellent PA system, state-of-the-art lighting, great acoustics, and superb transport links, the Coronet is the ideal venue for live music performances.

Our vision is to continue our strong track record in hosting live music acts and to ensure we keep supporting local musicians at the venue.

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LATIN AMERICAN EVENTS Elephant & Castle hosts the largest Latin American community in the UK, and the Coronet is proud to cater to this distinctive and vibrant community. The venue has hosted many of the stars of the Latin American music scene, from Colombia’s Bomba Estereo to Brazil’s Gusttavo Lima, alongside other well-known musicians including Prince Royce and the band Vetusta Morla. Other Latino events include World Cup football matches, the Carnival del Pueblo and Latin club nights.

Our vision for the future is to continue organising Latin American live music concerts, and to work more closely with the local Latin American community in Elephant & Castle. We have plans to hold a Latin Christmas market and other community events featuring local latino bands as well as organising an event to raise funds for a Latin American charity which will be chosen by Elephant & Castle residents.

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SPORTING EVENTS LIVE SPORTING EVENTS The Coronet offers regular sporting events including amateur boxing and international pro-wrestling fixtures. We also host charity boxing events such as Fight4Cancer, which raises money for Cancer Research UK. As part of our plans to expand our offering we are looking to diversify the types of sporting events held at the Coronet.

TELEVISED SPORTING EVENTS The venue hosts live sporting events via satellite from all over the world, such as the World Cup. Our vision for the future is to broaden our impressive sports offering to encompass all types of sports such as live coverage of the American Superbowl. Given the unique make-up of the local Elephant & Castle community, we also plan to screen more Latin American sporting events including the Brazilian Grand Prix and Copa de Libertadores – the premier South American club tournament.

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CHARLIE CHAPLIN EVENTS The Coronet has recently discovered that 1920s movie star Charlie Chaplin performed at the venue – then known as the Elephant & Castle Theatre – as a young child.

Our vision is to create a series of Charlie Chaplin tours which will include the Coronet Theatre and the Walworth area, where Chaplin was born. We plan to give a percentage of the tour proceeds back to East Walworth Community projects.

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CORPORATE EVENTS Just two minutes’ walk from Elephant & Castle tube station and mainline station, the Coronet is ideally situated for corporate events. With the capacity to cater for varying numbers of guests over 5 refurbished spaces, the Coronet has both the flexibility and capacity required to make it a perfect space to host business events for both staff and clients alike.

In the past, we have hosted the International Art and Design Symposium, where over 50 stars from the entertainment and arts industries organised workshops and talks for an audience of creative enthusiasts.

Our vision is to bring more corporate events, including conferences and conventions for large audiences, and smaller events such as training days, Christmas parties and private concerts, to the Coronet.

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CHARITY EVENTS The Coronet recently hosted a fundraiser in aid of The Knight Foundation – a charity which helps young people aged 16-25 from across London with special projects. The event saw both Sir Tom Jones and Ronan Keating grace the stage as they performed for nearly one thousand people, with the proceeds from the fundraiser going towards the purchase of a roof for a local youth football pitch.

Our vision is to use the flexibility of the space the Coronet offers to assist with more events for a range of worthy charities.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS Giving back to the community is a huge driver for the Coronet and we are always seeking to work more closely with local people from the Elephant & Castle area on community-based projects.

Our vision is to work with schools in the area to use the Coronet as a space for theatre days, music and sound engineering lessons, award ceremonies, and to organise for an annual Southwark Schools’ Battle of the Bands to take place at the Coronet to help build on our reputation of supporting upcoming, local talent.

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CLUB NIGHTS Numerous world-class DJs such as Steve Aoki and Eric Prydz have performed at the Coronet. The venue also plays host to a diverse and exciting array of club nights. These range from XOYO events to reggae, UKGfest and Nepalese club nights.

Whilst we already organise a variety of club nights at the venue, we are always open to hosting new events.

Our vision is to expand the range of club nights at the Coronet.

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BBC RADIO 2 Having captivated audiences since 1952, Friday Night is Music Night is the world’s longest-running live orchestral music radio programme.

Since its inception, the BBC Concert Orchestra has been the programme’s house orchestra, performing a wide range of different music styles, from classical to musical theatre, opera, swing, jazz and folk. One of its biggest draws is its unpredictable playlist, which remains a secret until broadcast. Friday Night is Music Night is regularly broadcast live from the Coronet’s sister venue, the Mermaid Theatre, located at Blackfriars in the City of London.

Our vision is to bring Friday Night south of the river to the Coronet, helping to boost our repertoire of cultural events.

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THE PEOPLE The driving force behind the Coronet Theatre is its director, Richard Littman.

Richard has been actively involved in the entertainment and leisure industries for many years, having held a range of positions at Novus Leisure (formerly Urbium PLC), which has included overall responsibility for the Tiger Tiger chain of bars across the UK, and Operations Director of French restaurant chain, Chez GÊrard. Richard was also previously Managing Director of Miroma Leisure, where he led a team offering consultancy to bars, restaurants and nightclubs across the UK. Since 2011, Richard has been Director of the Mermaid Conference Centre in the City of London and Director of the Coronet Theatre. Richard is fiercely proud of the Coronet’s rich history in Elephant & Castle, and passionate about helping to restore the building to its former art deco glory.

His vision is to make the Coronet the place to host events in South London.

Director, Richard Littman, outside the Coronet

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LOCATION MAP

NEW KENT ROAD, LONDON SE1 6TJ TUBE

Northern Line, Bakerloo Line TFL information: 0207 222 1234

BUSES

1,12, 40, 45, 53, 68, 133, 171, 176 TFL information: 0207 222 1234

TRAIN

First Capital Connect / South Eastern service Information: 0800 123 4567

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CURRENT EVENTS

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Š Coronet, November 2014