Welcome to Broxbourne Arts Forum


Broxbourne Arts Forum, known locally as BArts, is a voluntary organisation, founded in 2000 to represent the arts interests of the local community across music, drama, dance, art, poetry and more.



Group Members & Programme


BArts currently has 28 affiliated group members, representing both the voluntary and community sector, and several thousand people. Together, we present an extensive annual programme of events and activities that compliments the Borough of Broxbourne's Leisure programme. To find out further details about each group, and their upcoming events, please click here.


We produce three printed programmes each year for our members, with issues covering January-May, May-September, and September-January.

BArts Sponsored Events

Look out for all of our BArts sponsored events during the year at the Spotlight Theatre, Hoddesdon, including:



  • Arts Café
  • Forum Film Classics
  • Let's Do Lunch
  • My Kind of Music
  • Backstage Tours

Every other month, we welcome local artists to the Spotlight for our "Arts Cafe", a free event at the Spotlight featuring live music, paintings, photographs, ceramics, craft, demonstrations, Poets' Corner and board games. Our next "Arts Cafe" is on Tuesday 15th September from 11am-2pm.


Our bimonthly "Forum Film Classics" cinema series presents award-winning film showings at the Spotlight. Our next film is "Pride and Prejudice" on Tuesday 8th September at 2pm. Tickets are £12, and are available via the Spotlight website here.


We are pleased to continue to offer our popular "Let's Do Lunch" drama series at the Spotlight. The next event will be on Friday 11th September at 12pm, when we return with "Dynamic Dynasties". Tickets are £18, including lunch, and are available via the Spotlight website here.


We welcome our resident pianist, Barbara Manning, each month for "My Kind of Music", our popular lunchtime concert series at the Spotlight. The next event will be on Wednesday 2nd September from 12-2pm. For booking details via the Spotlight website, please click here.

We also hold short talks on theatre, featuring "Backstage Tours" and lighting displays. Tickets are £15, including cream tea, and the next talk is on Friday 20th November at 2pm. For booking details via the Spotlight website, please click here.

Further news about new events is coming soon.

Awards & Grants


BArts offers a number of individual and group awards for excellence in art, crafts, creative writing, dance, drama, or music. Four special grants are also available annually for outstanding students who need support for the cost of equipment, tuition, audition fees or travel. To apply for one of our awards, or to find out more, please click here.

Sponsors, Patrons & Friends


Much of our financial support comes via our enthusiastic Sponsors, Patrons, and Friends, who pay an annual subscription and make occasional special donations. To find out more about becoming a member of BArts, please click here.

Get Involved


If you fancy a creative hobby such as watercolour painting or floral art, or enjoy the performing arts and would like to experience the thrill of appearing on stage in a play, musical or pantomime, or singing in a choir, our listed groups are always pleased to welcome new members. Some have links to their own web pages on our About page, or you can contact us for their details.


Bridge, Dancing, Music, Debates and Gardening are also offered by BArts' groups, plus a huge variety of other Educational and Leisure activities for members of the Broxbourne, the Cheshunt and the Lea Valley branches of the University of the Third Age (U3A).

Local Support


If you are looking for:


Actors, Artists, Caricaturists, Cartoonists, Children's Entertainers, Dancers, Dance Teachers, Floral Artists, Jazz Bands, Musical Directors, Musicians, Photographers, Pianists, Piano Teachers, Piano Tuners, Poets, Potters, Singers, Singing Teachers, Speakers, Stage Crew, Stage Directors, Tap Dancers, Theatre Technicians, Writers, or anyone else involved in the arts...


We have contacts with all sorts of people involved in the arts across the Borough, so please contact us and we will be more than happy to help!

We are members of the Broxbourne Lottery, please click here for more information.