Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) has unveiled its 2025/26 season, a vibrant and diverse programme that brings together artists from across the globe to Lavender Hill.
The season opens with Liberty Festival, the Mayor of London’s flagship celebration of disabled artists, running 24–28 September and visiting BAC from 25–28 September. Produced by CRIPtic Arts, the festival will embed artists within the Wandsworth community, exploring the disabled experience through bold and boundary-pushing work.
Following the success of The Dan Daw Show, Dan Daw Creative Projects returns with the World Premiere of EXXY, co-produced with BAC. Running 2–10 October, the show transports audiences to the Australian outback as Dan, a queer, crippled artist, explores imposter syndrome and self-worth. He is joined on stage by three performers who mirror his identity, offering a powerful meditation on belonging.
“EXXY (Australian slang for ‘that’s expensive, mate’) takes the audience on an epic and tender journey back to where Dan Daw began – working class, with very little,” the company explains. “Dan finds comfort in the possibility of finally blending in after a lifetime of standing out.”
On 11–12 October, French artists Aurélie Charon and Amélie Bonnin present the UK Premiere of Radio Live: A New Generation. This hybrid of theatre and journalism gives voice to young people from Bosnia, Rwanda, Ukraine and Gaza, sharing their lived experiences through drawing, video and music.
BAC and The Place co-present Rinse on 14 October, a UK Premiere by Bundjalung and Ngapuhi dance artist Amrita Hepi and theatre-maker Mish Grigor. This electric solo performance explores the romance of beginnings and the seduction of the past in the face of extinction.
From 14–15 October, Tiago Rodrigues, Director of the Festival d’Avignon, brings the UK Premiere of By Heart to BAC. In this moving tribute to his grandmother, Rodrigues invites ten audience members to memorise a Shakespeare sonnet live on stage.
Belgian company Ontroerend Goed returns with Handle with Care, running 12–14 November. With only a bare stage and a box, this minimalist production promises a unique and unrepeatable theatrical experience.
Families can look forward to A Merry Misrule, a new festive adventure co-produced by BAC and Wild Rumpus, running 29 November – 24 December. Details of this immersive holiday experience will be announced soon.
In March 2026, award-winning collective Quarantine takes over BAC for the World Premiere of A Public Address. Running 2–14 March, the project will involve a wide range of local voices and stories, forming part of Wandsworth’s London Borough of Culture celebrations.
Creative Director Pelin Başaran says:
“This season has been shaped by the question of how we move beyond the ‘collective vertigo,’ a term borrowed from Naomi Klein, that we have been experiencing as a society in response to recent global developments. In these times, when we feel disorientated, with a constant fear of falling, how can we, as a community, hold on to one another, support each other, and find our collective, powerful voice?”
Artistic Director and CEO Tarek Iskander adds:
“I am proud of every season we host here at BAC, but this one feels special. Being part of Wandsworth’s London Borough of Culture year is a joy – and it also comes at a time when the world is full of ideologies that seek to divide us. That’s why BAC is consciously spotlighting artists that challenge this division, creating work that celebrates what connects us and everything we share.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
