Venue: Norwich Arts Centre
Town: Norwich, GB

Norwich Arts Centre is a live music venue, theatre and art gallery located in St Benedict's Street in Norwich, Norfolk, England. It has a capacity of 300 for standing music concerts and 120 for seated events. In November 2014, it was named "Britain's Best Small Venue" by the NME. In 1976, a group formed for the purpose of starting an alternative venue for the visual and performing arts in Norwich. With the help of Norwich City Council the venue was opened in 1977 in a former carpet factory on St Benedicts Street and named "Premises". It moved to its current site, St Swithin's Church, in 1980 and has remained there since. The centre currently operates as a registered charity. Although a small venue, Norwich Arts Centre has hosted many well known bands and comedians, including Nirvana, Oasis, Muse, The Stone Roses, Manic Street Preachers, The Libertines, Coldplay, Enter Shikari, Biffy Clyro, Foals, Kasabian, Mumford & Sons, Bombay Bicycle Club, Jack Dee, Mark Lamarr, Sue Perkins, Steve Harley (as a 3-man electro-acoustic set), Mark Thomas, Noel Fielding, David Baddiel, Ross Noble, Frank Skinner and Josie Long. Following a gig on 15 May 1991, Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers carved the words "4 Real" into his forearm with a razor blade following an interview with journalist Steve Lamacq. The redundant church which houses the Norwich Arts Centre is dedicated to Saint Swithun and dates from 1349, although an earlier, Anglo-Saxon church may have existed on the site. The area was originally a wealthy one, with four medieval churches close to each other. However it had become a slum by the nineteenth century. St Swithin's became redundant and was closed in 1881. In 1882, the church's tower was demolished as it had become unsafe, this was later replaced by a bell-cot. The building was back in use as a church between 1883 and 1891, after which time it fell into disrepair. In 1905, a clergyman, John Sawbridge, raised funds for it to be reopened as an Evangelical ch