Clifford Chance has advised Sadler’s Wells on the successful completion of a long lease of its new venue, Sadler’s Wells East, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Sadler’s Wells East will host its first performances in February 2025, offering a vibrant programme of dance and other performing arts with the aim to engage audiences from the local community and beyond. The new theatre is located on East Bank, the UK’s newest cultural quarter and collaboration between cultural institutions and world leading universities, which also includes BBC Music Studios, London College of Fashion, University College London and V&A East.
Clifford Chance has been engaged with the charity for several decades and supported in this instance on the pre-letting of the new theatre which was developed in conjunction with the London Legacy Development Corporation. The firm’s role included advising Sadler’s Wells on the real estate/development, planning and construction elements of the scheme from inception in 2014 through to practical completion earlier this month.
The team was led by Partner Ian Painter, recently appointed the Honorary Clerk of the Sadler’s Wells charitable foundation in recognition of the work that the firm has done for the charity over the years. The wider team comprised Senior Associates Alex Pennington and Melissa Jones on the transactional real estate aspects as well as Director Ben Hatton and Associate Jordan Gulwell. Environment and Planning advice was provided by Partner Nigel Howorth and Senior Associate Katie Kempthorne, and construction advice was provided by Partner Ed Bretherton and Senior Associate Adam Waite.
Ian Painter commented: “We’re very excited to have travelled with Sadler’s Wells on this decade-long journey and it’s great to see everything come together on site as Sadler’s Well East readies itself for opening season in February 2025. The theatre promises to be another excellent venue to add to London’s broad cultural offering and we wish Sadler’s Wells all the very best as they move into the operational phase of the development.”
Britannia Morton, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, said “We’re extremely grateful for all the continued support from Clifford Chance especially for our new theatre, Sadler’s Wells East, which we’re pleased to be opening in the new year as part of East Bank. It’s an exciting time for us and we think Sadler’s Wells East will make such a difference, contributing both to the thriving local creative scene and to the wider national and international dance and arts ecology.“
