Nexus is a creative community space in the heart of the city centre. We operate a not-for-profit café and arts venue where we showcase the work of emerging creative practitioners, facilitate local grassroots organisations and work with our users towards sustainable community development projects.

We aim to create a unique environment in which to foster individual wellbeing and growth and where people from all ages, social backgrounds and abilities can gather to explore, reflect and create together.

In it’s current usage, the word nexus means a central point that connects many others, it is a hub and a meeting place. It stems from an older Latin verb meaning “to bind together” and it is in this latter sense that we really live up to our name.

The Nexus story (click the links to find out more!):

We opened in September 2005 as a joint initiative between the Methodist & Anglican church. Working in partnership with local council, police, bars & clubs Nexus was able to open as a night cafe on Saturday nights. Between 2-6am every week, the night café offers a safe space for folks making their way home after a night out. By providing a warm, friendly, fun place and taxi ordering service, we hope we can reduce the problems of bogus taxis and alcohol related crime.

As a result of people coming to the night café, Nexus has been able to develop in other ways. We opened as a full time, not-for-profit cafe in 2008 which has allowed us to foster a completely unique environment where people from all ages, social backgrounds and abilities can gather to explore, reflect and create together on their own terms as well as through our lively participatory arts programme. During the evenings we operate as a low cost community venue available for hire, hosting events from local meetings to experimental theatre and music gigs. We host around six exhibitions per year that we invite members of our community to submit work for, have an artist in residence scheme, and we work with all kinds of people on all sorts of one off events, workshops and productions, from gigs to theatre productions. We are also home to a vibrant crafting community.

Much of this is only made possible by the time, dedication and talent of our volunteers. We have a great volunteer programme that aims to train, develop and continuously support individuals enrolled and we are currently in the process of launching a professional volunteer schemewhich you can find out more about by clicking through.