Theatres Trust Reveals Plan To Support Theatres To Be Fit For The Future

Learn more about their plan here!

By: Sep. 27, 2023
Theatres Trust Reveals Plan To Support Theatres To Be Fit For The Future

Theatres Trust, the national advice and advocacy body for the UK’s theatres, has set out its vision and priorities for the next three years, under the new tagline “Theatres fit for the future”.

Theatres Trust will provide greater targeted support with its free advice service alongside improved data and intelligence gathering as the theatre sector deals with a new and even more challenging environment following the pandemic and in the face of the cost-of-living crisis.  Its work will be underpinned by four key principles: resilience, environmental sustainability, inclusion and placemaking.

Central to this will be an expansion of Theatres Trust’s free advice service.  Theatres have always called on Theatres Trust’s knowledge when undertaking capital projects and planning applications, but Theatres Trust will now provide even more guidance to theatre owners and operators on a range of management issues including business planning, governance, building management, ownership or leases.  The Trust will draw on its in-house expertise as well as a pool of external consultants to act as a ‘critical friend’ to theatres. 

A significant piece of work for the Trust in the next three years will be building the UK’s first comprehensive database of theatres.  The database will support information and knowledge sharing across theatres and the wider sector and form a full picture of the country’s theatre buildings, enabling Theatres Trust and other stakeholders to monitor trends and issues across the sector and provide invaluable information to help advocate on behalf of theatres.

Alongside these new areas of work, Theatres Trust continues its ongoing work as the only organisation that supports every theatre in the UK, historic or modern, commercial, subsidised or voluntary in a variety of ways.  These include:

  • Responding to all planning applications involving or impacting a theatre building in its role as a statutory consultee in the planning system. 
  • Commenting on local planning and culture policies to ensure they safeguard and promote culture, placemaking and sustainable theatre. 
  • Continuing the Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities programme for another two years, offering grants and specialist training to Theatres at Risk, and webinars open to the whole sector on subjects including governance, fundraising and audience development. 
  • Being a driving force, alongside major industry partners, on the Theatre Green Book project, taking on the role of secretariat to support further developments and adoption across the sector.
  • Running grant schemes offering funding to improve theatres’ resilience, sustainability or accessibility.
  • Assisting community groups campaigning to save or revive their local theatres, particularly those on the Theatres at Risk Register. 
  • Publishing advice notes to support theatre owners, operators, campaign groups and local authorities with common issues relating to theatre buildings. 
  • Submitting and supporting heritage listing applications for buildings of particular architectural and cultural merit to give them greater protection. 

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan says, The changes we’ve made are not radical, but they are significant. I see it is an evolution of our vision, our priorities and our work to best support theatres to meet the challenges of today and into the future.



RELATED STORIES - UK Regional

1
Clean Break Reveals Associate Artistic Director and Patron Photo
Clean Break Reveals Associate Artistic Director and Patron

Clean Break has announced two new appointments, as director and playwright Lakesha Arie-Angelo joins the company from March 2024 in the newly created role of Associate Artistic Director and award-winning actor Michelle Greenidge becomes a Patron with immediate effect.

2
The UK Choir Festival is Coming to Manchester, Birmingham, and St Albans Photo
The UK Choir Festival is Coming to Manchester, Birmingham, and St Albans

The UK Choir Festival 2024 season has been revealed, featuring three events across Manchester, Birmingham, and St Albans. Learn more about the lineup here!

3
Photos: Inside Rehearsal For SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS at Southamptons Mayflower The Photo
Photos: Inside Rehearsal For SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre; Full Cast Revealed!

Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre has announced the full cast and released rehearsal photos for this year’s fairest pantomime of them all, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which opens on Saturday 9 December.

4
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is Now Playing at The Stephen Joseph Theatre Photo
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is Now Playing at The Stephen Joseph Theatre

This year's Christmas show at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre – a sparkling new adaptation of Beauty and the Beast – has opened and runs to 30 December.

More Hot Stories For You

Videos


Drag Queens vs. Vampires in UK Regional Drag Queens vs. Vampires
Underbelly Cowgate (3/08-8/23)
Ellen Kent: La Traviata in UK Regional Ellen Kent: La Traviata
Richmond Theatre (1/22-1/22)
The Taylor Swift Cabaret in UK Regional The Taylor Swift Cabaret
The New Wimbledon Theatre (3/28-3/28)
Zoetrope in UK Regional Zoetrope
National Dance Company Wales (12/13-12/16)
180⁰ Chord in UK Regional 180⁰ Chord
Storyhouse (2/09-2/09)
Tess in UK Regional Tess
The Lowry (2/14-2/17)
Cinderella in UK Regional Cinderella
Theatre Chipping Norton (11/15-1/14)
Cinderella in UK Regional Cinderella
Belgrade Theatre (11/22-1/13)
Kin in UK Regional Kin
Kin (1/12-1/27)
Tess in UK Regional Tess
Lighthouse Poole (2/21-2/22)
VIEW ALL SHOWS  ADD A SHOW  

Recommended For You