The Old Fire Station

The Old Fire Station is an arts centre, theatre and gallery on George Street, in a substantial late-Victorian building. The original fire station was designed by H.W. Moore and built 1894–6; the building remained in fire-service use until the late twentieth century. After a long period of mixed use it reopened as an arts venue in 2011, sharing the site with Crisis, the national homelessness charity, whose Crisis Skylight Oxford service operates from the same building.

The Old Fire Station operates as a registered charity (no. 1140525). Its central idea is the deliberate co-location of arts and social purpose: the work people make through Crisis Skylight feeds into the public programme alongside professional theatre and visual art.

What's on

Programming sits across three strands: a theatre (around 110 seats) hosting touring drama, comedy, spoken word and dance; a gallery running rotating exhibitions of contemporary art with a regular slot for work made by people who have experienced homelessness; and a café-bar open to the public through the day. There is also a small shop selling work by artists who have come through Crisis Skylight Oxford.

Comedy is a particular strength: the venue hosts touring stand-up and previews of Edinburgh shows. Tickets are pitched fairly — most theatre and comedy is in the £10–£20 range.

Visiting

The front door is on George Street, opposite the New Theatre. The café-bar is the easiest way in if you just want to look around. Hot food is served daytime; the bar continues into the evening on performance nights. The building is step-free on the ground floor; the theatre and gallery have lift access.

Building dates and architect (H.W. Moore, 1894-6) from the Historic England listing and Wikipedia. 2011 reopening and the Crisis Skylight partnership from the Old Fire Station About page. Charity number from the Charity Commission register.