Our Story
Boy, do we have a story for you!
Lower Marsh Arts Club opened its doors in its current iteration in September 2026. But the venue – run by VAULT Creative Arts – emerges from a long history of supporting emerging artists in London. Have a look below to learn more about where we came from!
In the Beginning…
In 2012, VAULT Festival was set up in the tunnels underneath Waterloo station. Over the years, the festival grew into London’s largest theatre festival, taking place every February/March. It was a place to make and see brilliant art, as well as network, socialise, and have a bloody brilliant time.
By the time the festival reached its final year (in 2023), it was reaching over 100,000 audience members annually, hosting about 2,000 performances of over 500 shows.
Unfortunately, due to a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, funding constraints, and challenges with the venue, the festival closed for the final time in 2023. This was a huge blow to the fringe theatre scene in London, closing an annual staple for thousands of artists. You can learn more about VAULT Festival, its impact, and its history, by clicking the link below
The next chapter
In 2022, as part of managing the growth of VAULT Festival, the team founded VAULT Creative Arts (or VCA) – the organisation that would produce and manage the festival. And at the same time, they acquired a base of operations just around the corner from The Vaults. This was first opened, primarily as an office, with a cafe/bar on the ground floor, and a 30-seat performance space in the basement.
With the closure of the festival, the VCA team began looking around for ways to maintain the same level of output and impact. And where else would fit better than the venue they were already running – affectionately dubbed “The Glitch”?
The experiment began – how close could we come to matching the impact of VAULT festival, year-round? Could we continue to provide the unparalleled quality and quantity of opportunities for early-career artists that the festival was known for? What about the networking opportunities? And what about, above all, the sheer fun of it?
In our first year, we expanded our performance space, overhauled programming, and refurbished our bar, while also introducing a raft of artist development programmes. In that time we hosted over 400 shows and events and supported over 1,000 artists.
Looking to the future
We think the experiment was a success. So, it was time to nail our colours to the mast. In September 2026, LowMAC opened its doors for the first time. We set out to offer a truly unparalleled quantity and quality of opportunity for early-career artists, a brilliant programme of ground-breaking art, and a vibrant, lively social space.
We honour our heritage, hosting three festivals each year. We host up to three shows a night – a selection of theatre, comedy, cabaret, and more, programmed through regular open-callouts to ensure access for everyone, at some of the most affordable rates in London. And our guarantee model creates an unrivalled opportunity for brilliant, early-career artists to get paid upfront for creating exciting work.
By supporting artists in this way, we offer a programme full of genuinely groundbreaking performance. Unique stories, told brilliantly, by early-career artists who are at the top of their game.
Identity
A Creative Hub – A space to celebrate creativity, in every element of what we do. The beating heat of creativity for emerging artists in London.
The Friendliest Venue in London – You’re welcome here. This is a space where people feel confident and comfortable spending as much time as they want. It’s a space where people feel they belong.
A Social Space – We’re a space to meet friends, hang out, and hopefully make some new friends too.
Mission
At LowMAC, we create an unparalleled quantity and quality of opportunities for early career artists to make work, develop their skills, grow their networks, and have a really good time doing it. This means we offer a truly brilliant, exciting, fun creative programme in an enticing social space, that audiences want to see.
Values
Unparalleled Opportunity – We offer an unrivalled quantity and quality of opportunities for early career artists. Working with us is simple, accessible, affordable, and creates meaningful pathways for career development.
Ambition – We’re never satisfied with “just okay”. In every element of our work, we strive to be a shining example of best practice.
But is it fun? – A motto inherited from our VAULT Festival days. It guides Everything we do, from the shows we programme, to the drinks at the bar, to the venue’s décor.