Venue information

The North Wall Arts Centre is an an award-winning theatre, gallery and performing arts centre located in Summertown, North Oxford. The facility was opened in 2007, and offers a fully flexible 200-seat theatre, a public art gallery, as well as studios for dance and drama.

The centre is owned by St Edward’s School and shared with the city, and it was created for the benefit of emerging artists across a range of disciplines. The programme of events at The North Wall places emphasis on new and innovative work.

The North Wall Arts Centre was built on the site of a Victorian swimming pool situated on the grounds of St Edward’s School, Oxford.

After over a century of use, this pool became redundant when a new one was built on the school playing fields, and after it had served as a storeroom for a few years, the School Governors decided to develop the pool and adjoining buildings as a new arts centre.

Venue hire

The North Wall Arts Centre is a flexible, multi-purpose arts complex which contains a theatre, drama studio, dance studio and art gallery. These spaces are available to hire.

• The Theatre is a flexible space with a conventional end-on stage and a seating capacity of 191. Stalls seats have backs, while upper and lower gallery seats consist of padded benches with a padded bar on which to lean.
• The Gallery is a large contemporary exhibition spaces. All exhibitions are subject to a selection process and are programmed in line with the aim in the gallery – to promote visual contemporary artists living in Oxfordshire.
• The Drama Studio measures 11.5m x 9.6m with four large windows down to floor level. The floor is lightly sprung, and consists of hardboard laid on MDF. Hire of the Drama Studio is not possible during term-time, but one-off hires during holiday periods may be possible, subject to negotiation.
• The Dance Studio is professionally equipped, with a sound system, a sprung Harlequin dance floor, mirrors extending down one wall, and both a fixed and a portable barre. Occasional one-off hires may be possible at weekends only during term-time.

Opening hours

• Monday to Saturday from 10.00am to 4.00pm
• Closed Sundays & Bank Holidays
• Open from 6.30pm for events

Getting to The North Wall Arts Centre

The North Wall is located in Summertown, just 2 miles north of Oxford city centre. The venue is also easily accessible from Oxford and Oxford Parkway railway stations.

By Bus:

From Oxford City Centre (Magdalen Street, stop C4)

No. 2/2A/2C bus every 5-10 minutes (Oxford Bus Company)
Get off at Summertown shops, walk up road to HSBC bank, and turn left into South Parade. The North Wall is 200 yards along on your left.

No. 6 bus – every 15 minutes
Get off at South Parade stop, and cross the road into South Parade. The North Wall is 100 yards up the road on your right.

Park and Ride:

For visitors travelling from outside of Oxford, it’s a short journey by bus from both Pear Tree Park & Ride and Oxford Parkway Park & Ride.  Buses leave every 10 minutes (£2.80 return fare, car parking fee charged hourly). Get off at South Parade stop. Walk 30 yards back up the road and turn right into South Parade. The North Wall is 100 yards up the road on your right.

By Car:

South Parade is a one-way street with very limited on-street parking, although parking is permissible on the on the single yellow line on the opposite side of the road after 4.00pm. In general, we advise visitors either to use one of the two public car parks in Summertown (about five minutes’ walk away) or to take a bus from the Pear Tree Park & Ride.

By Train:

Oxford Rail Station & Oxford Parkway are both 2 miles from The North Wall. Taxis are available from outside the train station. Otherwise, get the 500 bus from either station to the South Parade stop on Banbury Road in Summertown.

Accessibility information

The North Wall aims to be as accessible as possible to all visitors. The building has accessible facilities, and we also provide a range of assisted performances throughout the year.

Any audience member with a disability who requires a companion or personal assistant in order to attend a performance is entitled to a free companion ticket. If you are a wheelchair user, there are specific seating areas reserved in the auditorium that are fully-accessible. These can be booked by calling the box office on 01865 319450 or emailing contact@thenorthwall.com.

When booking tickets online, there’s an option to add additional information to your booking about your access requirements. We are happy to make any adjustments necessary to make your visit as comfortable as possible – if you’d like to discuss any queries about your visit, please call the box office on 01865 319450.

You can find more informtation about access on the venue website.