artsdepot.co.uk

artsdepot is an award-winning arts centre in Barnet, London, describing itself as "a creative home for everyone." It hosts theatre, comedy, music and family shows alongside a gallery, a cafe and workshops, and welcomes around 269,000 visitors each year. It suits anyone in or visiting the Barnet area looking for a performance, a family day out, or a creative space to hire or take part in.

What you can see and do

The venue programmes across several art forms rather than specialising in one. According to its homepage, the offer includes:

• Theatre and dance — staged work in the Pentland Theatre and Studio Theatre
• Comedy — stand-up and comedy shows, such as Scummy Mummies: Hot Mess
• Music — live music performances
• Family shows — productions aimed at children and families, such as Dear Zoo and Surinderella
• Gallery — exhibition space, including the Apthorp Gallery and Exhibition Wall
• Cafe — cafedepot, open during building hours
• Workshops — participatory creative sessions

The building also contains named spaces available beyond performances, including a Creation Space, Dance Space, Art Space, Drama Space and bardepot.

What's on and how to plan a visit

The homepage highlights events "in the next 7 days" and a broader "What's on" section, so the programme changes regularly — check the site before travelling for a specific show.

Opening hours listed on the homepage:

Box office phone: 020 8369 5454.

For a specific production, the site lists the venue space, dates and a booking link (for example, Surinderella in the Pentland Theatre, 17–18 October 2026, and Dear Zoo, 23–27 October 2026). Use the "More info" and "Book now" links on each listing to confirm times, tickets and availability, since the homepage does not publish prices.

Who it's for

The centre positions itself as inclusive and family-friendly. The Londonist quote featured on the site calls it "one of the most inspirational and inclusive theatrical spaces a family could ever wish to visit." In practice that means:

• Families — dedicated family theatre and a cafe for before or after a show
• Comedy and music fans — a mixed adult programme alongside children's work
• Local groups and artists — named creation, dance, art and drama spaces suggest room for workshops and hire; check the individual space pages for details and terms

Practical next steps

1. Go to artsdepot.co.uk and open What's on to see the current programme.
2. Pick a show and check its listing for venue space, dates and booking.
3. Call the box office on 020 8369 5454 if you need to confirm details the site doesn't show, such as ticket prices or access arrangements.
4. If you're interested in a space rather than a show, browse the individual space pages (Pentland Theatre, Studio Theatre, Creation Space and others) for capacity and use.

To find upcoming shows at artsdepot and book tickets, go to the artsdepot website and use the What's On section. It lists events happening in the next seven days and further ahead, with each listing showing the show title, dates, venue and a short description. Each listing includes More info and Book now links, so you can read details and move straight to booking. If you prefer to book by phone or check availability with a person, the Box Office number is 020 8369 5454.

Step-by-step: Finding a show and booking

1. Open the artsdepot homepage. The What's On area appears on the page, including an In the next 7 days... block for events happening soon.
2. Scan the listings. Each entry gives the show title, dates, the space it's in (for example, Pentland Theatre) and a brief description. Current examples on the site include:
   • Surinderella — Sat 17 – Sun 18 Oct 2026, Pentland Theatre (family theatre)
   • Scummy Mummies: Hot Mess — Thu 22 Oct 2026, Pentland Theatre (comedy)
   • Dear Zoo — Fri 23 – Tue 27 Oct 2026, Pentland Theatre (family show)
3. Select "More info" on a listing to read the full description before deciding.
4. Select "Book now" on the listing you want to attend to start the booking process.
5. Confirm your details and complete the booking on the booking page. Keep any confirmation you receive so you have your ticket details to hand.

Expected result: you end up with a confirmed booking for your chosen performance, or — if you use the phone route — a Box Office staff member handling your booking directly.

Checking opening hours before you go or call

The homepage shows daily opening times, which are useful if you plan to visit in person or call the Box Office:

These are the hours displayed for the current day on the site, so check the homepage again on the day you plan to visit or call, in case they differ.

Common snags and how to handle them

• Your show isn't in the next 7 days. The In the next 7 days... block only covers the coming week. Browse the wider What's On listings for later dates — the example shows run into October 2026.
• You can't find a booking link. Look for Book now directly under the listing; More info takes you to the description page first.
• You'd rather not book online. Call the Box Office on 020 8369 5454 during its opening hours (9am – 5pm as shown).
• You want to combine a visit with something else. The building also houses a cafe, gallery and other spaces, so you can plan a full visit around your show — see the site's space overview for what's inside.

What else the site tells you

artsdepot describes itself as "a creative home for everyone" and an award-winning arts centre in Barnet, with theatre, comedy, music, family shows, a gallery, cafe and workshops. The homepage notes 269,000 visitors a year, which gives a sense of how busy popular family and comedy shows can be — booking early through the Book now links is the simplest way to secure a place.

artsdepot is an award-winning arts centre in Barnet, described on its own site as "a creative home for everyone." Its role in the community is both cultural and practical: it programmes theatre, comedy, music, family shows, a gallery, workshops and more, and it opens its building as "a space for everyone." On the history side, the site confirms that artsdepot has a 20-year history and invites visitors to "delve into 20 years of artsdepot's history," with more detail marked as coming soon. So the site establishes the milestone and the community mission clearly, while the fuller historical narrative is not yet published there.

What the site says about artsdepot's history

The homepage includes a section titled "artsdepot's History in Context," introduced with the line "Delve into 20 years of artsdepot's history." That is the extent of the historical material currently visible in the page evidence: a 20-year span, framed as context rather than a detailed timeline. The page notes that further information is "coming soon," so anyone researching founding dates, building origins or past programmes should treat the current site as a starting point rather than a complete archive.

What the 20-year reference does establish is that artsdepot is an established institution rather than a new venue, and that it considers its own history worth presenting to the public.

How artsdepot serves the Barnet community

The site's framing is consistently inclusive. It calls itself "a creative home for everyone" and "a space for everyone," and the page evidence shows the building is organised around multiple named spaces that support different kinds of activity:

This mix matters for the community role: a venue with a main theatre, studio, creation space, dance and drama rooms, gallery and cafe is set up for both audiences and participants, not just ticketed shows. The site also cites 269,000 visitors to artsdepot each year, which gives a sense of the scale of its reach in the borough.

The programming shown on the homepage reflects a broad audience. Examples include Rifco Theatre's Surinderella in the Pentland Theatre (17–18 October 2026), Scummy Mummies: Hot Mess (22 October 2026) and Dear Zoo (23–27 October 2026) — a family show, a comedy night and a children's theatre adaptation sitting side by side.

External recognition

The site quotes Londonist describing artsdepot as "one of the most inspirational and inclusive theatrical spaces a family could ever wish to visit," adding that "every London borough should have one." This is a pull quote used by artsdepot itself, so it reflects how the venue presents its reputation rather than an independent assessment — but it reinforces the inclusive, family-oriented positioning that runs through the site.

Practical ways to engage with artsdepot

If you want to experience the venue's role firsthand rather than read about it, the homepage points to several entry points:

• See what's on — the "What's on" and "In the next 7 days..." sections list current and upcoming performances, each with "More info" and "Book now" links.
• Visit the building — the site's interactive building overview lets you hover or tap each space (Pentland Theatre, Studio Theatre, Creation Space, galleries, cafe and so on) to see an overview and click through for detail.
• Check opening times before you go — the homepage lists daily hours for the building, cafe and box office, so confirm these for your visit date.
• Contact the box office — the site lists the box office phone number, 020 8369 5454, alongside its opening hours.

For the historical side specifically, the "History in Context" section is the place to watch: the site says more is coming soon, so the published history may expand beyond the current 20-year reference.

What to keep in mind

The available page evidence supports three claims confidently: artsdepot has a 20-year history, it positions itself as an inclusive space for everyone in Barnet, and it hosts a broad programme across theatre, comedy, music, family shows, gallery and workshops. Details such as exact founding dates, the building's earlier uses or a year-by-year timeline are not included in the material reviewed here, so they should be confirmed directly with artsdepot rather than assumed.

artsdepot is a multi-space arts centre in Barnet, and the building holds far more than its theatre programme suggests. Inside you'll find two performance venues (Pentland Theatre and Studio Theatre), dedicated creation and rehearsal spaces (Creation Space, Dance Space, Art Space, Drama Space), gallery areas (Apthorp Gallery and Exhibition Wall), and food and drink spots (cafedepot and bardepot). The centre describes itself as "a creative home for everyone" and notes that visitors are often surprised by how much is in the building.

Performance venues

The Pentland Theatre hosts the headline programme — for example, Surinderella (17–18 October 2026), Scummy Mummies: Hot Mess (22 October 2026) and Dear Zoo (23–27 October 2026) are all listed there. If you're booking for a specific show, check which venue it's in, since the two spaces differ in scale.

Creation and rehearsal spaces

Four named spaces support making and practising work:

• Creation Space — for developing new work
• Dance Space — a dedicated room for dance
• Drama Space — for theatre and drama activity
• Art Space — for visual art work

These sit alongside the public programme and are part of what the centre calls "a space for everyone."

Galleries and exhibition areas

• Apthorp Gallery — the main gallery
• Exhibition Wall — a display area for exhibitions

Both are listed as building spaces, so a visit for a show can also include free-standing exhibition viewing depending on what's on.

Cafe and bar

• cafedepot — the ground-floor cafe
• bardepot — the bar

The cafe is a practical anchor for a visit: on the day shown on the homepage, building hours were 8.30am–8pm, cafe hours 8.30am–5pm, and Box Office hours 9am–5pm. Hours vary by day, so confirm before travelling if you're planning around the cafe or Box Office rather than a ticketed show.

Planning your visit

• Box Office: 9am–5pm on the day listed; phone 020 8369 5454.
• Building: 8.30am–8pm on the day listed.
• Scale: around 269,000 visitors come through each year, so popular family shows can be busy — booking ahead is sensible for the Pentland Theatre programme.

The homepage offers an interactive building tour: hover over (or tap) a space to see an overview, and click for more detail. That's the quickest way to check a specific room before you go.

artsdepot's homepage lists three separate sets of daily hours: the building is open 8.30am–8pm, cafedepot is open 8.30am–5pm, and the Box Office is open 9am–5pm. The Box Office can be reached by phone on 020 8369 5454. These are the hours shown for the current day on the homepage, so treat them as the standard daily pattern rather than a guarantee for every date — check the site before travelling for a specific show or a bank holiday.

Opening hours at a glance

The practical takeaway: the building opens before the Box Office and stays open well after it closes. If you arrive early, you can go in from 8.30am, but you cannot buy or collect tickets until 9am. If you arrive after 5pm, the Box Office will be shut even though the building is still open — relevant if you are attending an evening performance and need to pick up tickets.

Contacting the Box Office

• Phone: 020 8369 5454
• Hours: 9am–5pm, per the homepage listing
• In person: at the venue's Box Office during those same hours

The homepage does not list an email address or a separate booking line, so the phone number is the contact route it gives. For show-specific questions, each event listing has a "More info" link and a "Book now" option, which is the most direct way to check availability and reserve seats.

Planning around a visit

Because the three sets of hours differ, match your timing to what you actually need to do:

• Seeing a show: the building is open from 8.30am, but confirm the performance time on the event page — the listed hours describe the venue day, not curtain times.
• Buying or collecting tickets: aim for 9am–5pm. Outside that window, use the website's booking links instead.
• Using cafedepot: it closes at 5pm, two to three hours before the building does, so it is not an option for a pre-show meal for an evening performance.
• Calling with a question: the phone line follows Box Office hours, so calls after 5pm will not be answered.

What else is in the building

The hours above cover a venue that holds more than a single theatre. The site describes a Pentland Theatre, Studio Theatre, Creation Space, Apthorp Gallery, Exhibition Wall, cafedepot, and several named spaces including a Dance Space, Art Space, Drama Space and bardepot, alongside workshops and family shows. That range is why the building day (8.30am–8pm) is longer than the Box Office day — daytime activity such as gallery visits, classes or cafe use can happen without ticket desk staff on hand.

If your reason for visiting is a workshop, gallery visit or a space hire rather than a performance, the Box Office number is still the published contact point, but check the relevant page for that activity first, since individual spaces and programmes may keep their own schedules that the homepage summary does not show.