The University of Warwick’s Warwick Arts Centre is proudly celebrating its 50th anniversary this November, marking five decades of being at the heart of the arts, culture, and community in the West Midlands.

Since its establishment in 1974, Warwick Arts Centre has played an instrumental role in shaping the creative landscape, providing a welcoming space for artistic expression and fostering meaningful connections between artists, students, and the local community.

Throughout the month of November 2024, Warwick Arts Centre will create a platform for change-makers and artists creating art that speaks to societal change. Hosting an inspiring programme of community led events, written and spoken word, films and live events designed to inspire and engage diverse audiences.

One of the highlights of the season will be Material Worlds, an exhibition curated in partnership with the Hayward Gallery, which explores the themes of resistance and resilience through textile arts.

Additionally, to mark the anniversary, textile artist Julia O’Connell has been commissioned to make a co-created quilt made with and by over 150 people from Coventry.

Warwick Arts Centre Director, Doreen Foster, expressed her pride in reaching this historic milestone: "For fifty years, Warwick Arts Centre has been a beacon of creativity and community.

We will be marking the occasion this Autumn with a series of activities, events and projects rooted in the present, yet touching on Warwick Arts Centre’s history as a place for radical thinking as well as the University of Warwick’s reputation for innovation.

This anniversary gives us the chance not only to celebrate our history, but also to reaffirm our commitment to making the arts accessible to everyone. We remain dedicated to creating a welcoming, inclusive space where artists and audiences alike can come together to explore new ideas and challenge the status quo."

With a bold and dynamic season of events, Warwick Arts Centre is continuing to inspire, provoke, and empower, as it has done for five decades.