Futurecity developed the Southwark Theatre District strategy as a culture-led placemaking vision that positions Southwark as London’s leading hub for live performance outside the West End. Drawing on the borough’s exceptional concentration of theatres, rehearsal spaces, creative businesses and historic performance sites, the strategy set out a compelling proposal for an ‘Off-Broadway for London’.

The work combined in-depth cultural mapping with international case studies and stakeholder engagement across theatre companies, cultural institutions, independent practitioners and supporting businesses. The strategy identified a rich but often invisible creative economy underpinning Southwark’s performance sector, from costume and set design to lighting, education and technical production. By making this ecology visible and connected, the Theatre District concept aimed to strengthen both cultural identity and economic resilience.

Central to the strategy was the creation of a unifying framework - ‘Union’ - designed to bring together diverse venues and practices under a shared identity while respecting Southwark’s character as a network of distinct neighbourhoods. Proposals explored branding, wayfinding, programming, digital platforms and curated experiences that would open up the process of theatre-making to wider audiences, animate streets and public spaces, and encourage longer dwell time across the borough.

The strategy positioned live performance as a catalyst for regeneration, supporting the night-time economy, creative employment and inward investment, while reinforcing Southwark’s long-standing reputation for experimentation, cultural freedom and artistic risk. It established a scalable model for how theatre can shape place, connect communities and drive sustainable cultural growth.

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