Keep Boscombe Arts Depot (B.A.D.) open

Aim

Support our creative community in Boscombe. We are raising money to keep Boscombe Arts Depot (B.A.D.) open.

WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING DONATIONS - WE HAVE FORVER FUNDING AND WILL BE RUNNING THIS PROJECT UNTIL JULY 2023. 

B.A.D. – Boscombe Arts Depot – is a community arts space and has been the key venue for BEAF Arts Company since 2019. However, its future is now uncertain and we’re calling on you –amazing local people – for help.

Originally the TJ Hughes Department Store in Boscombe, B.A.D. has since been developed into a pop-up theatre-in-the-round, a large gallery space, a lounge cinema, recording studio and education space for The Outsiders Project, Seeking Refuge and other brilliant collectives.

Aiming to open our space more regularly, our friends at Pen Gallery will be moving their not-for-profit store and exhibition space into B.A.D. Having established themselves in Poole, Pen is a contemporary design store, supporting over 100 local makers and has been hosting monthly exhibitions and workshops.

By moving into our space in Boscombe, they will be able to have a bigger store space, programme even more workshops and host exhibitions around the festival time. Meaning more art, more often, on our highstreet, giving the B.A.D building a daily presence on the precinct.

We desperately want to open the space up to the wider community, to keep using our cinema space, develop workshops and projects and support artists with space to do so. But before we can do that, the building desperately needs some work.

B.A.D. needs a new fire detection system, maintenance and cleaning, and to build an accessible toilet. A new fire system will enable us to keep the building safe and provide open access to artists.

Art belongs here in Boscombe. That’s why we’re calling on you –our incredible local community – to take part in this crowdfunding campaign and make a difference. With your help, we can continue to nurture local artistic talent and grass-roots projects from unheard voices.

If you’re not able to contribute but you’re keen to support us please help us to share this message. 

You can share the story on Instagram (@gotbeaf & @pengallerystore) and Facebook, and talk about it with friends and family. Likewise if you want to hear more about what BEAF and Pen Gallery are up to please get in touch with us. 

Collecting your rewards: 

You can collect from either TOSH (The Old School House) in Boscombe or from Pen Gallery in Poole. Please let us know where you would like to collect from and when so we can make sure we are around. 

If you need us to send a reward (except the skateboard) in the post, please add on postage. Thank you! 

This project successfully funded on 10th July 2023