Camden Arts Centre

#96

A former Victorian library turned nimble contemporary art hub. Expect changing shows, residencies, talks, and a pocket garden with a mellow café. The appeal is scale and pace: two or three focused exhibitions you can actually finish—and still have arguments about on the Overground home.

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Opening Hours

Sunday: 11:00 – 18:00

Tuesday: 11:00 – 18:00

Wednesday: 11:00 – 18:00

Thursday: 11:00 – 21:00

Friday: 11:00 – 18:00

Saturday: 11:00 – 18:00

What's not to miss inside?

Main Galleries

Museum-quality shows without museum overwhelm

Rotating solo and group projects favour risk and depth over spectacle.

Pick one work and read the wall text last; the curatorial through-line often clicks on a second pass.

📍 Ground and first floors

Studios & Residencies

Process on view

Visiting artists develop new work here—talks and open studios let you catch ideas mid-flight.

If there’s an open studio, ask one ‘how’ question about materials; you’ll unlock the rest.

📍 Onsite workspaces (check programme)

Garden & Café

Reset between shows

A small walled garden that doubles as spill-over for performances and readings.

Take notes outside; shows here often reward a second loop with fresh eyes.

📍 Rear of the centre

🤓 Fun Facts

The centre occupies the former Hampstead Central Library (1897), repurposed for art in the 1960s.

Its programme is known for artists’ residencies—often the first UK outing for international names who later headline larger institutions.

The intimate scale means you can see everything in under an hour—rare for London—and still feel you’ve had a rigorous encounter with contemporary art.