Blog

On Saturday 28 June 2025, Jacksons Lane celebrated 50 years of creativity, community, and culture. We threw open our doors for a jam-packed day (and night) of festivities, welcoming visitors old and new to mark half a century at the heart of Highgate. 

The atmosphere was electric from the moment the circus parade burst into life, weaving its way through the building with jugglers, stilt-walkers, and vibrant costumes drawing smiles and applause from all around. It was a joyful nod to Jacksons Lane’s long-standing connection to contemporary circus and the perfect way to kick off a day of celebration. 

Inside and out, the building buzzed with activity. Performances surprised and delighted at every turn, while the sizzling BBQ drifted through the air and drew more people in. Children and young-at-heart adults got hands-on at our arts and crafts workshop, taking snippets from Jacksons Lane brochures and creating a chain of colourful and imaginative bunting which transformed the foyer into a hive of creativity. 

The heritage trail offered a fascinating glimpse into Jacksons Lane’s activist beginnings, with local shopfronts being brought to life with stories from the past, while the poster and archive exhibition took visitors on a visual journey through five decades of groundbreaking work from bold theatre productions and collaborative community projects. 

One of the standout features was an exhibition co-curated with our Young Producers as a celebration of Jacksons Lane’s heritage, shaped by the group’s own interests — including activism, inclusivity, youth programming, and the building’s architecture. These were then exhibited with the help of a graphic designer and a set designer to bring their vision to reality. The final display reflected not only the building’s history, but also the voices and personalities of the Young Producers themselves. 

The Oral Histories and Boogaloo Radio Studio took visitors on an audio journey through time to sit and hear the voices of those who’ve made Jacksons Lane what it is. This included artists, participants, volunteers, and staff past and present sharing pivotal memories, laughter, and a few emotional moments. 

While people were listening to our Oral Histories, we invited them to draw on a fabric square either experiences or thoughts they have of Jacksons Lane or to be inspired by the voices they could hear. We had over a hundred beautifully illustrated squares sharing some birthday love for Jacksons Lane! 

Set up by the theatre entrance, the Community Stage pulsed with energy all day long as the brilliant Aidan Sadler compered the space. His performance was peppered with some all-time classic celebratory songs released over the past 50 years, which had been collected during this year’s monthly Broadway Brunches from our community of older adults. A range of disciplines were platformed, from the thought-provoking spoken word of the Lockdown Lunchers, to the charming musical numbers of the Williams Family, who have been performing at our Christmas Day event for the past 33 years! It was brilliant to have the opportunity of platforming the work of our programme participants, and to bring to the attention of the wider community just some of the immensely talented individuals we have the privilege of working with. 

800+ members of our community came through the doors to join our celebrations including founding members, volunteers, audiences, educators and participants from across our 50 years.  

“Nicky’s family are so delighted to see Jacksons Lane Centre going from strength to strength in its 50th year. The centre played a huge part in Nicky’s life from the early days when she saw the building’s potential to become a venue for local play schemes, and the community more widely, up to her recent pink plaque presentation. On behalf of Nicky we wish Jackson’s Lane a great birthday year.” From the Gavron family. 

Our Birthday Cabaret triumphed in showcasing the artistic side of Jacksons Lane through a line up of multiple disciplines from comedy and music to handbalancing. The evening looked to our future, programming global majority and LGBTQ+ artists and celebrating our commitment to platforming the innovative voices from across our whole community. 

 Director, Kaveh Rahnama proclaimed, “The day will remain with me for a long time to come, and I imagine, for the young people in particular, it will have formed a lasting memory for many many years.”   

This anniversary was a living testament to what Jacksons Lane has meant, and continues to mean, to so many.  

Our 50th really encompassed so much of the spirit and energy in which Jacksons Lane was founded and fundraised to bring to life.  

A huge thank you to everyone who came, contributed, and celebrated with us. 

Here’s to the next 50! 

All images credited to Alex Brenner.