Championing Young People: The heart of the Roundhouse

Credit: CEO and Artistic Director, Marcus Davey

Having been at the helm of the Roundhouse for 27 years, CEO and Artistic Director Marcus Davey has dedicated his tenure to ensuring that the Roundhouse is far more than bricks and mortar — it is a place that genuinely invests in the creative futures of young people.

The Three Sixty Festival is just one of many examples of the profound impact that emerges when young people are given the encouragement and vital support they need to achieve their full potential. As Marcus prepares to pass the reins to his successor this June, we were delighted to speak with him about his enduring bond with this iconic venue.

Thank you for having me at this beautiful venue. When you first walked through the doors of the Roundhouse, what was it about the building that made you fall in love with it?

I was aware of the Roundhouse before I applied for the role, but the first time I actually stepped inside was for an interview with its founder. At that point, the staff team numbered just four, as the building had been largely redundant and in a very poor state of repair for nearly 20 years. And yet, there was something about it that made me fall in love with it immediately.  

I met the founder, Sir Torquil Norman, who was a toy maker — responsible for creating Polly Pocket, the giant yellow teapot, and many others. He had acquired the Roundhouse with the ambition of transforming it into a creative centre for young people, and to demonstrate to the world that when you invest in young people, they can achieve almost anything. I fell in love with that vision, and with the Roundhouse itself.

My first impressions were of a building that was run-down, dirty, and falling apart — one that was desperately in need of care. And I wanted to be the one to give it that.

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When you came on board as CEO and Artistic Director, what was on top of your priority list when it came to deciding what values you wanted to incorporate into the DNA of the Roundhouse?

When I first started, it was all about developing a plan to raise the funds needed to rebuild the Roundhouse into what it is today — with the creative centre for young people at its very heart, and the main performance space filled with extraordinary shows, music, and performing arts throughout the year.

In terms of values, it was about accessibility, inclusion, kindness, and warmth — in that order, though there were many others we held equally dear. Above all, we wanted the Roundhouse to be a space that everyone could access when it reopened.

We wanted to be as inclusive as possible, representing London in all its rich diversity — its people, its art forms, and everything in between. Crucially, we wanted people to enjoy the space, love it, and feel a genuine sense of belonging.

It was about celebrating the things that unite us, while also honouring what makes each of us unique.

How have you found being part of this corner of London, particularly given its extraordinarily rich cultural history — with the likes of Amy Winehouse and so many others who have graced this stage?

When I first started, the area around Chalk Farm was quite run-down — buildings were empty, and the neighbourhood felt neglected. We became something of a pebble dropped into a pond, and the ripples spread outward. Since then, I believe there have been around 14 major construction projects in the surrounding area, with new developments continuing to take shape on all sides. The weight of the Roundhouse’s history was never far from my mind. In 1966, it opened as an arts centre, and its very first event was the launch of the counter-culture magazine The International Times, with Soft Machine performing as the headline act. Paul McCartney was in the audience that night, alongside many other luminaries of the era. Also on the bill were a young local band making one of their first major appearances — Pink Floyd. From there, its legacy only grew, culminating in landmark moments such as the Ramones delivering their first British performance on American Independence Day, 1976 — widely regarded as a pivotal moment in the birth of punk.

We had the Psychedelia with Pink Floyd, then everyone in between, David Bowie, The Who, you mentioned it. Patti Smith giving her first performance in this country here. We even had the likes of the famous theatre director  Peter Brook of the Royal Shakespeare Company bringing musical, theatrical and contemporary dance shows to the Roundhouse as well.

It was never the West End — there was no velvet, no grandeur. It was affordable, and above all, it felt accessible. We wanted to carry that essence forward into the contemporary world we were building.

Celebrating 20 years since the reopening is a remarkable achievement in itself. What have been some of the milestone moments that have stood out most, and equally, what occasions have presented the most valuable opportunities to learn and grow?

That’s a wonderful question. I’ll answer it in two parts.

On the subject of milestones, the reopening of the Roundhouse on 1st June 2006 — after more than 20 years of closure — was nothing short of monumental. We opened with an Argentinian company called Fuerza Bruta, and it was simply extraordinary. The run sold out within 13 days.

Did it feel immersive on that day as well? It was incredible. The building wasn't entirely ready, but we made it ready. We didn't have the necessary licences at the start of the day, but by the time the doors opened, everything was in place. It was deeply emotional. Since then, we have raised the funds to build two additional buildings — one dedicated entirely to young people, and another that serves as a business centre and houses our offices.

We rent out three floors, which generates vital income for the organisation. Beyond that, we have hosted the BBC Electric Proms, the iTunes Festival, and commissioned extraordinary artists to create installations in the main space — among them Ron Arad and Wayne McGregor. There have been countless remarkable performances, but at the very heart of everything remains the work we do with young people.

The Roundhouse is Europe's largest creative youth centre. In the past year alone, we worked with 12,000 young people. It is genuinely diverse, representative, and inclusive — made possible in large part because it remains affordable and accessible to all.

Our studio sessions and programmes cost no more than £1 or £2 per session, ensuring that everyone can attend. For those who are unable to meet even that cost, we operate a confidential bursary scheme to provide additional support.

As for what we have learned — we have been learning throughout the entire journey. We have trialled ideas, taken risks, and explored different artistic and youth programmes alike. Perhaps the most significant realisation has been that the work we do with young people is, in many ways, invisible to the outside world.

On the rare occasions when that work does come to light, it becomes clear that some of the young people who have come through our doors are now household names — which is truly remarkable. It is partly for this reason that we developed the Three Sixty Festival: to showcase young talent alongside world-class artists, both on stage and behind the scenes in production roles, while also creating meaningful audience experiences for young people.

What is the most valuable mistake you have made — one that ultimately proved to be beneficial?

There was a production we staged one summer that resulted in a significant financial loss — audiences simply did not come. However, we learned an enormous amount from that experience about how to approach programming differently and how to engage more effectively with the booking process. We have not repeated that particular mistake since. There have been nerve-wracking moments along the way, but we have navigated them well.

You touched on this briefly, but the Roundhouse is not simply a place where memories are made for music fans — it is also a place where emerging talent is nurtured, and where the industry names of tomorrow are shaped. On a personal level, how important is it to you to champion young talent and amplify young voices?

It's a reason to jump out of bed in the morning with hope and delight because I've got to meet thousands of young people and work quite closely directly with young trustees and other young artists as they develop their first work. It's really the reason I wanted to do this job because I think the more we can invest in young people, it gives us all a better future. I think it was the music and the arts that gave me hope when I was a teenager.

I was badly bullied as a young teenager. I was placed in the bottom set for everything, largely because I had undiagnosed dyslexia — a condition I was not aware of until I was 50. I really struggled. But through music, I found my tribe, and through making ceramics and painting, I found another.

If those experiences were enough to lead me towards a fulfilling world filled with like-minded, positive people, then the arts are undoubtedly a powerful pathway for young people to build confidence, self-esteem, skills, and experience — and ultimately to move towards a brighter future. For me, it is everything. It is my world.

Are there any particular success stories that really stand out for you?

I will share two. I was once in the studio theatre attending one of our young people's showcases when a colleague from our music team said to me, “You really should meet this young woman — she's been doing some remarkable things.” She was wearing a tall black hat and was quite shy and introverted. We had a brief conversation, and then she stepped on stage and transformed entirely into someone altogether different. She went on to win the Mercury Prize — that was Little Simz, who has since collaborated with us on several occasions. She is just one example of the extraordinary names to have come through these doors.

Credit: Daniel Kaluuya with Marcus Davey

​The other example is Oscar-winning actor, writer, producer, and director Daniel Kaluuya, whom I appointed as our Associate Artistic Director. Together, we have established a new theatre company called Centre 59, which showcases its work as part of the Three Sixty Festival.

At the end of a rehearsal during one of our summer programmes, I found myself in conversation with a parent who had no idea who I was — they assumed I was simply another parent. I asked whether they had a child taking part, and they pointed to a young boy across the room. I told them he had been wonderful to watch.

I really enjoyed watching him.'' And they said, ''What's it meant to you?'' And she said, ''This has meant everything.'' I said, ''What do you mean it's meant everything?'' She said, ''Well, last term, he was so depressed, he couldn't get out of bed, basically left school, lost hope, didn't do anything, completely went into himself and didn't see a future.'' I booked him onto this course and we were randomly selected, because it was so over-subscribed. Randomly selected, didn't really want to go to begin with, but he was interested, so he came, a bit reluctant. At the end of the first day, he was talking at home for the first time in months.

By the end of the week, he was arriving an hour early and staying an hour after the session had finished. He was completely transformed. I asked her what that meant to her, and she said simply: “It saved his life.” She then asked whether I had a child in the programme. I told her that, in fact, I worked there, and explained who I was.

She was overwhelmed, and I confess, so was I. That story is one I have heard told in many different forms, time and again. Of course, young people have always faced challenges, but today the pressures are particularly acute — lives fractured by conflict, a deeply polarised society, the lingering effects of the pandemic, and the relentless pull of social media. When young people encounter a space that is open, warm, kind, accessible, thoughtful, and progressive, it is — as I can only describe it — like throwing open the windows at the end of winter and letting the fresh air of spring and hope come flooding in.

That leads us beautifully on to this year's Three Sixty Festival, which continues to serve as an outstanding showcase and platform for young talent. How has preparation for Year 2 been?

Considerably smoother than Year 1, I am pleased to say.

In Year 1, everything was entirely new, and even the staff were still finding their footing. Certain elements went very well, but this year the whole operation is running far more smoothly. We have a clear understanding of what we are doing, what we are asking of established artists, and what we are asking of young artists and production teams.

It is going very well overall. There are always the usual challenges — some shows have already sold out, while others are not yet where we would hope them to be in terms of ticket sales, though we are optimistic they will pick up in the final weeks. Without giving too much away, is there anything you wanted to approach differently compared to last year? The aim, really, is simply to build on the foundations laid in Year 1.

The core priority is ensuring that young people are meaningfully involved in every single showcase — whether as support artists or in other capacities. When we approach established artists with this proposition, there is sometimes initial hesitation, but once we explain the vision, the response is invariably positive. Often, they come back with ideas that exceed what we had originally envisaged, which is enormously encouraging.

Whenever anyone buys a ticket to any Roundhouse show, it goes much further than that, because they also invest into the important programmes as well. So tell us a little bit about that?

We are a charity, established for three distinct purposes: to develop the work we do with young people; to care for this extraordinary and unique Grade II listed building; and to create pioneering artistic programmes for the public. Every penny of profit generated — whether from ticket sales, drinks, merchandise, or the cloakroom — goes directly back into supporting our charitable mission. We are not here to fill the pockets of directors.

All of our trustees serve on a voluntary basis and contribute financially in support of the organisation. Everyone is united around a shared vision and purpose: to genuinely transform young lives, to secure a long-term sustainable future for the building, and to bring joy to people through the power of the arts. Every penny we generate is reinvested directly into the work we do.

What does community mean to you then?

There are a number of distinct communities that exist within the Roundhouse. There is a community of young people from across London who come to know one another and build networks together — something that is often absent in their lives. Many have not been to university and do not have access to professional networks. The Roundhouse gives them the opportunity to build exactly that.

There's a community of staff here. There's a community of volunteers, the volunteers who usher for the main space shows, some of whom have been with us for 20 years, and they have built a community of friends. Some of them have got married and had children, but many of them go to each other's parties, and they're all close friends.

And then there is the local community — or rather, two local communities. The first is the immediate neighbourhood: we work with local schools, community groups, and special schools. The second is London as a whole, and the question of how we contribute to and feed into the wider cultural ecosystem of the city.

We have collaborated with the Royal Ballet and Opera, the National Theatre, Sadler's Wells, the BBC, and many other leading organisations. We see ourselves as an integral part of that broader ecosystem, and it is enormously important to us that local people feel a deep sense of civic pride in this space. There is one story that illustrates this perfectly — and it is a profoundly moving one.

On the night of the London riots, we were hosting the opening of a major new installation by the architect-artist Ron Arad in the main space. We had 700 guests in attendance, when we received an urgent call informing us that the riots were heading in our direction and asking us to disperse people towards the tube as quickly as possible. By that point, most guests had already left, and only around 150 remained — primarily VIP supporters and funders sharing a meal. Just as we were preparing to move them out, the riot erupted directly outside. We were unable to get anyone out safely, and the police instructed us to gather everyone in the main space, turn off all the lights, and wait for assistance.

The windows of the local Sainsbury's had been smashed, as had those of the bike shop nearby — it was a deeply unsettling scene. I watched from an upstairs window as events unfolded. A few officers arrived but were clearly overwhelmed. And then I noticed a group of people standing calmly outside the Roundhouse.

I thought, I'd better get them inside as quickly as possible, and I went up and said, you'd better come in. They said, no, no, we're parents of young local people. And I said, what are you doing outside? They said, they're not touching the roundhouse.

Remarkable, isn't it? A group of parents had come out, of their own accord, to make sure the Roundhouse was safe. That speaks volumes about the bond this community has with this place. In that moment, I knew with absolute certainty that the Roundhouse was truly something special.

These questions are really striking a chord. As they should.

How does it feel knowing that the respect towards the Roundhouse continues to thrive?

I want the Roundhouse to be here for everyone, always, and I want it to have a long and distinguished history. When I look back in the years to come, I hope it will be even more vibrant and dynamic than it was during my time. I am leaving on 1st June — exactly 20 years to the day since it reopened.

I want people to more fully appreciate the power of the work we do with young people. When you consider that we have worked with 100,000 young people over 20 years, it becomes conceivable that in another 20 years that number could reach 300,000 or beyond. And when you begin to grasp the scale of that, you realise that a meaningful proportion of the country's young people will have passed through these doors — and they will carry this place with them. They will be its ambassadors, and its guardians, for the future.

And it is my sincere hope that one day, one of them steps into my role.

If you could bottle it, how would you describe the spirit of the Roundhouse — or is it simply too vast to contain?

Pioneering hope — because that is precisely what the world needs.

To everyone who has bought a ticket, visited the venue, or is planning to attend the Three Sixty Festival — what is the best way to truly embrace everything the Roundhouse has to offer?

First and foremost, thank you — to every single one of you, because none of this works without your support. During the Three Sixty Festival, there will be an exhibition celebrating our 20 years, which I have personally curated. It will be displayed throughout the venue. I encourage everyone to take the time to look at the photographs, to understand where we have come from and how far we have travelled — and to see that we are, perhaps, a little different from most places, because young people are at the very heart of everything we do.

Champion the young people when they take to the stage. Applaud them wholeheartedly. Give them hope. And be a pioneer of that hope.

Through your time as CEO and artistic director, what's been the reason behind your smile?

The people here are just so fantastic: the staff, the volunteers, the casual staff, the freelance artists, the young people, and the audiences. I run up the stairs every day, and it's a joy. I took a decision a year ago that actually after all these years, it'll be 27 years, it's time to hand over. I'm only a guardian. I'm not the owner. And I really should be giving it to the next generation.

As a community, both locally and nationally and internationally, how can we continue to support the Roundhouse moving forward?

Champion young people, champion young people, and champion young people. They need it, especially in a non-formal setting. In school, you go through a process, right? You go to a lesson that somebody teaches you. At the Roundhouse, you'll get some of that, but you'll get the thing where you choose.

And you say, I want to do that, and I'm going to go and learn, and I'm going to go and play. So there's a bit of a crossroads. When you come to the Roundhouse, you're responsible for yourself, but in a context of learning, shaping, and developing, and you become more of you.

The more you do that with other people, the more you become an adult. And that's really exciting. So I think championing non-formal settings. Attend the shows. And if you've got lots of money, fund something.

To support the Roundhouse or even explore the countless creative opportunities on offer visit www.roundhouse.org.uk