Make a donation
Every gift, whatever its size, brings us closer to securing the building and protecting the Arts Centre’s future.
Come Together for Bridport’s Arts Centre
Now is the time to come together for Bridport’s Arts Centre. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring the building back into community ownership and protect the Arts Centre’s future for generations to come.
Together, we can buy the freehold, care for this historic building and give Bridport Arts Centre the security to plan for the future. Ownership will also unlock funding that is difficult to access as a tenant, helping us improve the venue and continue bringing outstanding art and culture to our community.
✔ Secure online donation
✔ Gift Aid available
✔ Every donation goes toward the Come Together campaign
Donations are processed securely through our box office system.
Money raised through Come Together will be used to buy the freehold, carry out priority repair and restoration works, and cover the costs directly associated with the purchase.
More than a building
Nearly everyone has their own Bridport Arts Centre story.
It might be the first show you saw here, the first time you stood on a stage or the night you discovered a band, writer or artist you still love. It might be where your child found their confidence, where a friendship began, or simply somewhere you have always felt welcome.
For more than 50 years, Bridport Arts Centre has brought people together through theatre, film, music, comedy, visual art, literature, workshops and creative learning.
Now we have the chance to give this much-loved place a secure home and protect everything that happens inside it.
Come Together for Bridport’s Arts Centre
Every donation brings us closer to securing the building for future generations.
£45,191
of our £400,000 target
£354,809 still to raise
11.3% of £400,000 goal
Deadline: 18 December 2026
Campaign total last updated 7 August 2026.
There are many ways to take part
This campaign belongs to everyone who values Bridport Arts Centre. Donating is important, but it is not the only way to help.
Join the monthly draw
Enter our monthly fundraising draw for the chance to win BAC and F.east vouchers, books from the Bridport Prize, special prizes from our friends and supporters, and much more.
Come to a fundraising event
Join us at events throughout the campaign. From F.east supper clubs and Dahl for Donations to performances, auctions and film nights, there will be plenty of ways to come together and get involved.
Organise your own fundraiser
Bring your friends, neighbours, colleagues or community group together and raise money in your own way. It could be a concert, coffee morning, sponsored challenge, workshop, sale or something completely new.
Download the fundraising information sheet and tell us about your idea by emailing Claire.
Offer a prize, artwork or auction promise
Could you contribute an experience, service, artwork or special item to one of our campaign draws or auctions? We would love to hear from you.
Support us as a local business
Whether you can sponsor an event, match donations, give a prize or help us reach new people, local businesses can play an important part in the campaign.
What community ownership will make possible
Together, we can:
- Bring the building back into community ownership
- Give Bridport Arts Centre lasting security
- Repair and restore important historic features
- Unlock grants and investment that are difficult to access as a tenant
- Plan confidently for the future
- Protect an important creative space for generations to come
Owning our home will allow us to invest in the building and in the people who use it:
audiences, artists, families, young people, community groups and everyone who comes through our doors.
How did we get here?
In 1973, local people came together to buy the former Methodist chapel and school
house and turn them into an Arts Centre. Their determination gave Bridport more than
five decades of performances, exhibitions, films, workshops and shared experiences.
By early 2020, Bridport Arts Centre was in serious financial difficulty and at risk
of closing. The trustees at the time sold the building to Alasdair Warren because
the charity urgently needed funds to survive. The sale released the money BAC needed
to keep its doors open.
Alasdair has owned the building for the past six years and is now supporting our
ambition to return it to community ownership. Today, BAC is open, busy and ambitious
for the future. This campaign is our chance to put its home on a secure footing too.
Questions you may have
How will the building be protected in the future?
The building will initially be owned by Bridport Arts Centre, a registered charity. We are working with our professional advisers on the right long-term structure, with the aim of placing the building in separate legal ownership and ensuring appropriate protection and accountability. We will publish further details as the purchase progresses.
What will my donation be used for?
Donations to Come Together will be restricted to the building purchase campaign, including the purchase of the freehold itself, priority repair and restoration works and associated costs.
What happens if the full target is not reached?
Our first priority is to raise the full amount needed to purchase our building and undertake urgent repairs. If we fall short of our target – or circumstances beyond our control mean that the project cannot go ahead – your donation will still help secure the future of Bridport Arts Centre.
Every donation will remain restricted to property, capital and directly related relocation work. This could mean caring for and improving our current building but if it is sold and our lease is not renewed, helping us secure, equip and move into a new home in Bridport. In every circumstance, the funds will be used to help Bridport Arts Centre continue bringing arts and culture to our community.
The Board of Trustees of Bridport Arts Centre reserves the right to vary the terms of funding receivable from any particular donor.
Can I add Gift Aid?
If you are an eligible UK taxpayer, you can choose to add Gift Aid during the donation process. This increases the value of your gift at no additional cost to you.
Can I make a larger gift or discuss another form of support?
Yes. To discuss a major gift, business support, a fundraising partnership or another way of helping, please contact:
Claire Tudge, Director
[email protected]
Together, we can secure the future of Bridport Arts Centre
However you choose to help, you will be part of securing a future for this much-loved place and everything that happens inside it.