The British Academy of Film and Television Arts - BAFTA - is a world-leading independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image.  Its home, 195 Piccadilly, is currently undergoing a massive redesign programme to restore its Grade 2 listed framework, expand its capacity and install state-of-the-art technology throughout the building.

The redevelopment, which includes painstaking restoration of the venue’s original Victorian age rooflights and the Princess Anne Theatre – BAFTA’s iconic 227 seater cinema, will provide BAFTA with a dedicated learning space for the very first time, enabling it to dramatically increase the year-round work it does to find and support new talent, both in the UK and globally.  

VDC was approached in the summer of 2020 and asked to provide over £40K of cable to facilitate the rebuild.  The vast majority of the order was in stock and able to be turned around the same day.  In comparison, a number of other suppliers did not hold sufficient inventory in Europe, let alone in London.  

As VDC is only a 30 minute drive from the venue, the order was delivered via a secure, timed transit to accommodate the limited staffing, hygiene/security measures and restricted hours of the site.

Van Damme Purple Series LSZH Ecoflex install grade cable was supplied in 2x4mm, 4x4mm and 8x4mm sizes, together with a single pair of LSZH Ecoflex.  The cable, in addition to being low smoke zero halogen (LSZH), met the CPR rating needed for the project and impressed the installation team with its quality and flexibility as LSZH cables are notoriously difficult to work with. 

Once complete, the Princess Anne Theatre will have two of the latest state-of-the-art projectors within a new 41-seat screening room.  The new BAFTA suites will also be able to be booked for private screening for the first time.  

Reopening at the end of 2021, 195 Piccadilly will be a world-class centre for new talent and a vital investment in the creative future of the film and television industries.