The Forum was built as an art deco cinema in Bath, Somerset, England, in 1934, and was designated as a Grade II* listed building on 28 May 1986.[1] The building closed as a cinema in 1969, and has subsequently been used as a dancing school, a bingo hall and a church. Its main auditorium has 1,600 seats, making it Bath’s largest event venue.
The Forum initially sat 2000 and was opened on 19 May 1934 by the Marquis of Bath and was used as a cinema until 1969 when it was home to a dancing school and bingo hall. The building is owned by Bath and North East Somerset Council, and from 1988 is let on a 700-year term lease to the Bath Christian Trust as the home of Bath City Church.[3] It presently has 1600 seats, making it Bath’s largest venue for events[4] and so is also used for concerts, performances and presentations.[5]
The Forum has undergone a programme of extensive renovations under the supervision of Stubbs Rich Architects.[3][5] In 2014, the Bath Christian Trust put together plans to convert part of The Forum’s ground floor into a caf? which is now open.