A NEW creative arts venue which aims to give aspiring entertainers the platform to show off their skills is being launched tomorrow.

The Bohemian Balcony, which has taken over the space at the former Palladium Cinema in Jennings Street, Rodbourne, aims to serve as a hub for both amateur and established artists of all disciplines — from drama and drawing to sculpture and filmmaking.

Director Dan Rivers said while he was slightly nervous for the launch on Wednesday evening, he was relieved to see his decade-long pipeline dream come to fruition.

“I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long time but life got in the way and I guess I didn’t want to take a risk but then I got to the age where I thought I have to take the plunge,” said Dan, 32.

“It is a place for the community and one of the reasons I set it up was to create somewhere for people who didn’t have the platform to freely create and create new work.

“I wish there was somewhere like this when I was younger because most people go to Bath, Bristol or London to follow their dreams because we don’t have a platform for them here.

"We have countless numbers of dancing schools but this is a multi-artistic centre which can be used for all disciplines.

"It is a place where there is no benchmark. It is a creative centre where people can come in and use the resources and space and we will support them in making things happen.”

After a mammoth revamp, Dan, along with co-directors Sean Cardis and Silvia Fasulo, and a band of dedicated volunteers, has managed to transform the former cinema, which was built in 1928, into a space ready to welcome visitors of all abilities.

Once open tomorrow night, the space will be available for hire as well as hosting performances.

“The support has been great since the plans were announced and we have had volunteers coming in to help,” said Dan, who started off in theatre.

“It is nice to see people believing in the project and when we’ve put on little events as the work has been going on, people seem to keep coming back and they are draw to the place.

“Everyone values the space we have here and it is empowering for people to come here and I think it is a hidden gem in Swindon.

“The Palladium is not considered to be a slice of Swindon’s history but it was the first place for people to come together and socialise and we have tried to bring that aspect into the current day by creating a real buzz about the place.

“With the launch, I want to prove that the journey is just as important as the end product.

“I want people to think that you can start something with no money and take risks and see what happens because that is what I’ve done.”

The Bohemian Balcony has been set up as a community interest company so that all profits raised through performances and hiring the space are reinvested back into the upkeep of the building.

All money raised at the launch on Wednesday evening, which starts at 7.30pm, will be presented to the Young Minds charity.

For more information about The Bohemian Balcony, visit www.bohemianbalcony.com