Agenda item

As part of the London Festival of Architecture, Alexandra Palace’s Creative Learning team collaborated with Haringey Council’s placemaking department to engage local communities and strengthen their connection with the Palace. This initiative included a community radio broadcast from the Lower Field Sports Club, immersive heritage exhibitions and audio trails, volunteer-led heritage tours, and a specially curated version of Café Palais that brought older residents together to share stories and foster community bonds.

The Palace also made strides in activating its park as a communal and creative space. Shakespeare's As You Like It was performed in the Forest School area—once a deer enclosure—transforming it into a whimsical woodland theatre. Children attending Easter holiday camps enjoyed hands-on creative activities that seamlessly blended nature, performance, and play. A dedicated group of volunteer gardeners converted the pitch and putt vicinity into a blossoming wildflower meadow and began reshaping the theatre courtyard into a vibrant green oasis. Additionally, corporate volunteer days enabled teams to participate in park maintenance, enhancing their civic engagement and team camaraderie. The Forest School programme ran three days a week, connecting children with nature and nurturing early environmental awareness, resilience, and well-being.

To future-proof its mission, APPCT focused on increasing financial resilience. The charity expanded individual giving opportunities, appointing a Development Manager in early 2025 to lead the effort. Founding Ally Pally Patrons began contributing annual donations of £600 in June, while existing donors—starting at £3 a month—were informed of plans to relaunch as Ally Pally Supporters in spring 2026. Special events for individual supporters were hosted in June and July, including a reception around the co-production of North by Northwest at Alexandra Palace Theatre and a summer gathering in the park led by Friends of Alexandra Park.

Plans were laid for a renewed push around In Celebration donations and legacy gifts by autumn 2025. Supporters would soon be able to dedicate benches in the park or name seats within the theatre to commemorate loved ones or mark special occasions. Meanwhile, grant-seeking efforts were underway, with decisions expected in July for trust funding that would support Creative Learning programming and staff costs. Earlier in spring, the Palace received a grant from the Haringey Community Carbon Fund to cut emissions from the CUFOS building. June also marked the publication of a blog celebrating the 150th anniversary of Alexandra Palace Theatre, detailing technical upgrades funded by the Theatre’s Trust—including live audio-visual relays and new digital donation units.

Capital fundraising efforts continued as the team refined plans for the next stage of restoration across the Park and Palace. If funding is secured, this phase will focus on adapting facilities to promote community well-being and resilience against climate challenges. These improvements are aligned with APPCT’s ten-year vision and include repurposing the North East Office Building to enhance functionality and sustainability for future generations

Alexandra Palace embraced an adaptive reuse strategy to revitalise neglected and inaccessible spaces, successfully reintroducing them for public use with a diverse programme of events and activities. The North East Office Building (NEOB) Repair Project exemplified this initiative. A formal thank-you event for Historic England was held on 30 April, drawing attendees from prospective funders, patrons, and key organisations including Haringey Council, the GLA, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. As part of the 150th anniversary celebrations, the Young Creatives Network collaborated with the Community Curatorial Team to deliver an immersive tour showcasing the Creative Learning team’s contributions. Work continued to secure development phase funding to transform the NEOB into a vibrant hub for creative learning, complete with studios, office space, and an archive.

Strategic partnerships were expanded to enrich lives and promote career development. Alexandra Palace formalised its collaboration with the BBC Concert Orchestra, appointing it as the venue’s first Associate Orchestra. This marked a significant milestone in an already strong relationship with the BBC, which included theatre broadcasts of Friday Night is Music Night and Later with Jools Holland. The partnership also built on the site’s historical ties to the BBC, dating back to the inaugural public television transmission in 1936. Alongside performances and rehearsals, the Orchestra aimed to extend its impact through educational outreach in collaboration with the Creative Learning programme, benefitting local communities.

Internally, Alexandra Palace made strides in developing an inclusive and empowering workplace culture. Following the prior year’s completion of its People Strategy development phase, a comprehensive three-year implementation plan was initiated to align with the organisation’s decade-long vision. This Strategy centred around four goals: attracting and selecting talent, engaging employees, promoting growth, and ensuring retention, all rooted in values of collaboration, passion, resourcefulness, openness, and boldness. A key investment in future talent saw preparations for the launch of the first Apprenticeship Pilot in September 2025, supporting a Trainee Building Surveyor through a funded degree in Construction Management. The selected candidate, formerly part of the ice rink team, embodied the organisation’s commitment to recognising and cultivating potential within its existing workforce.

Members stated that the announcement of the BBC Orchestra and the Val Paley Collection had been received as positive news. It was asked whether the council had provided funding for any programmes at the palace, and officers confirmed that no such funding had been allocated. In response to inquiries about upcoming summer activities at the palace, officers noted that a wide range of programmes were scheduled, all of which were listed on the official website.

The report was noted.