Southbank Centre Archive

Southbank Centre Archive aims to collect, manage and preserve information, documents and artefacts relating to events and exhibitions held in the performing arts and public spaces of Southbank Centre. This includes Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and outdoor spaces around the Southbank Centre site.

The Archive was begun in the early 1990s as a labour of love by a member of staff working on foyer exhibitions and quickly became an important resource for the organisation, researchers and the general public. It includes collections of oral histories, programmes, photographs, posters, artwork and objects dating from Festival of Britain in 1951 to the present day.

Southbank Centre has begun a process of strategic development for the Archive’s future organisation and access. To enable the next stage of this plan to be carried out the Archive is currently closed to public enquiries.

This temporary closure will allow essential intensive work to be carried out and will facilitate meaningful access to the materials for the public in future years - including the Archive’s use in participatory projects.

Southbank Centre apologises for any disappointment and inconvenience this may cause. We look forward to welcoming your enquiries in the future.

The Archive welcomes donations and deposits of the following types of material relevant to our collection.

• Print material (programmes, leaflets and festival brochures)
• Photographs
• Recordings of performances and events
• General ephemera (sample tickets, gifts, promotional items, objects)
• Written or recorded memories, letters or postcards describing visits, employment or other experiences of the site
• Objects and artefacts

When contacting the Archive about items for donation or deposit it is useful to have the following information about the source and content of the item to hand:

• Identification of persons or places (e.g. people or events depicted in a photograph, the author of a letter or journal)
• A description and/or photograph or photocopy
• Approximate dates
• Approximate extent or dimensions

Access to any item placed in the Archive is controlled. Donors can request that restrictions be placed on access to sensitive items.

We regret that we cannot give valuations of items.

For current information regarding donations to the archive or if you would like to learn more about the strategic development plan please contact Emily Churchill, Archivist, Southbank Centre Archive on emily.churchill@southbankcentre.co.uk.