Worcester Performing Arts Venue

Speller Metcalfe have been contracted to deliver a major initiative to create a new arts and entertainment centre for Worcester and boost footfall in the city centre.

Scala, based in a historic former cinema in Angel Place, will host live performance events alongside independent film, visual arts, and a wide range of participation-based creative activities, as well as a programme of educational outreach and talent development.

It will be a community space, open daytime and evenings, where people can socialise and experience exciting things. It will complement, not compete with, the arts and entertainment venues that our city already has.

The project will see the renovation of the beautiful Scala building in Angel Place, which opened as a cinema in 1922 and was a popular entertainment destination until closing in June 1973. Since then it has been home to many different functions and businesses, with the most recent being a slot machine arcade.

Opening in October 2026, Scala will offer three main spaces – The Stage for live performances and other workshops; The Screen for films, live broadcasts, and talks plus, thanks to retractable seating and a spring floor, dance and exercise; and The Box for new and exciting digital experiences, workshops, courses and classes. The facilities at Scala will also be available for private hire.

The neighbouring Corn Exchange, in Angel Street, will be regenerated as part of a second phase of the scheme and will provide food and drink facilities, and additional workshop and performance space.

The renovation of the former Scala cinema is being made possible by a share of the £17.9m grant that Worcester City Council secured from the previous Government’s Future High Street Fund. Planning permission for the scheme was approved in March 2024.

Find out more and sign up for regular updates at scalaworcester.co.uk, and follow Scala Worcester on social media.