Minutes from Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament, our South Bank and Waterloo neighbourhood is part of London’s cultural and creative district. Nestled along the River Thames, it is an area of incredible history, architecture, culture and regeneration.
South Bank is home to great national centres for art and culture and some of London’s finest achievements in architecture, such as the National Theatre, Southbank Centre and London Eye while Waterloo offers a vibrant and growing community courtesy of attractions like The Old Vic, Lower Marsh Market and the Florence Nightingale Museum.
Below we have highlighted some of the activities in the local area that we recommend checking out as part of your visit to Leake Street Arches.
Embracing and fuelling creative expression through art, music, skateboarding, BMX, street culture and fashion; House of Vans offers a solid platform for the local communities to experience and engage with Vans’ ‘Off The Wall’ spirit. With creative expression at the forefront; the space incorporates an art gallery, a VansLab artist incubator space, a cinema, a live music venue, premium café and bars, not to mention a skater built and designed concrete bowl complete with mini ramp and street course.
The Vaults Theatre is London’s foremost theatre for the bold, the fresh and the fearless. Their mission is to collaborate and conspire, embracing artists from all walks of life to come together and inspire others. The 176 seat Vaults Theatre is home to London’s unconventional theatre scene and is situated in an abandoned space, in an archway beneath Waterloo station.
The National Theatre is dedicated to making the very best theatre and sharing it with as many people as possible. They stage up to 30 productions each year, ranging from re-imagined classics – such as Greek tragedy and Shakespeare – to modern masterpieces and new work by contemporary writers and theatre-makers.
A short walk from Waterloo station and the Old Vic theatre, Lower Marsh is named after the site of the ancient Lambeth Marsh, first recorded in 1377, on which it stands. It is home to one of London’s oldest and best-loved market streets. Founded in 1850, the historic Lower Marsh Market features some of the London’s most fascinating independent shops and other treasures in a growing and eclectic community.
The Old Vic is London’s independent not-for-profit theatre, a world leader in creativity and entertainment. Artistic Director, Matthew Warchus, is building on 200 years of creative adventure, with The Old Vic recently hailed as ‘London’s most eclectic and frequently electrifying theatre’. The Old Vic is mercurial: it can transform into a theatre in the round, a space for music and comedy, has played host to opera, dance, cinema, music hall, classical dramas, variety, clowns, big spectacles and novelty acts.
Since opening in 2000, The London Eye has become the UK’s most popular paid for visitor attraction. At 135m, the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel is a beautiful symbol of modern London offering incredible views across the capital.
The Southbank Centre (incorporating Royal Festival Hall, the Haywood Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room) is a world-famous, multi-venue arts centre, with a dynamic year-round festivals programme and an inclusive ethos. The UK’s largest arts centre was founded as part of the Festival of Britain in 1951. It’s a place where people experience world-class art and culture that stimulates, inspires, educates and amazes.
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