Call for Chancellor to support theatre sector

Palladium stage
29 Feb 2024

Ahead of next week's Spring Budget, Claire Walker, Co-Chief Executive of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, is calling on the Chancellor for renewed investment to sustain the UK's world-leading theatre sector.

Education in need of a radical rethink 

First Encounters with Shakespeare production photograph
15 Sep 2022

Industry complains of a chronic skills shortage in areas such as communication and creativity. Yet our education system places little value on subjects that hone those skills, says Jacqui O'Hanlon.

Training the next generation: filming performance bootcamp

31 Aug 2022

Natalie Woolman explains how a bootcamp to develop a talent pipeline for the multicamera teams of the future will address a serious gap in skills training.

The Watermill: Life outside the National Portfolio

Watermill theatre
18 Mar 2024

One year on from losing Arts Council England (ACE) funding, Berkshire's Watermill Theatre has had some sweet successes. Executive Director Claire Murray charts the downs and ups of a rollercoaster year. 

Protesters occupy Barbican

Protesters inside the Barbican Centre
18 Mar 2024

'Guerilla' festival of Palestinian art and culture staged by protesters inside London's Barbican Centre.

University and theatre partner on skills initiative 

18 Mar 2024

Staffordshire University has teamed up with the Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford to give students a chance to get involved in productions on and off stage.

The BBC reports that under the scheme, drama students will be guaranteed an audition for the theatre's annual Shakespeare production.

In addition, students on other creative industry courses will be encouraged to try out backstage and technical roles.

Deborah Sanderson, Head of Strategic Marketing at Staffordshire University, said the scheme has the potential to "open doors" for students and graduates to get experience of the backstage environment and meet the people behind productions.

Another theatre to stage 'Black Out' nights

Exterior of Seven Dials Playhouse
11 Mar 2024

News that another theatre will stage performances  exclusively for Black, Indigenous and People of Color-identifying audience members follows criticism of the concept by Downing Street last month.

Theatre closes over ceiling concerns

11 Mar 2024

A theatre in Hartlepool has been temporarily closed after problems were discovered with its plaster ceiling.

The BBC reports that issues were found at Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre following an assessment of the ceilings last week.

Mike Young, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "Initial assessments undertaken by specialists took place over the last week or so and have assessed the current condition [of the plaster ceiling].

"As a result of this a number of issues found now require more detailed investigations.

"A temporary closure is our only option at the current time."

Vegan theatre to open in Kent

11 Mar 2024

A theatre that will only allow vegan food to be consumed on site is to open in Canterbury.

Kent Online reports that the performing arts building of a former Steiner school in the city has been transformed into the Garlinge Theatre which will welcome the public to its first production next month.

The school closed suddenly last year after Ofsted inspectors highlighted a range of failings.

Anything eaten or consumed in the 300-capacity venue must be vegan, a rule that applies to anyone renting the site, organisers have said.

“We need to reduce cruelty and industrial agriculture," Terry Thompson, a member of the collective running the venue said.

“What we should be moving towards is an organic and non-cruel system that would free up land for food production.

“I felt the entertainment industry, especially in a theatre, was not offering enough of that and getting on people’s radar.

“We are not going to have it on every production promotion, but it will be underlying so people can ask questions.”

Six theatres share £510,000 of eco-project funds

Storyhouse, Chester
06 Mar 2024

Funds to improve environmental sustainability have been awarded as part of the Theatre Improvement Scheme.

Blackburn in line for £20m revamp

05 Mar 2024

King George's Hall in Blackburn will undergo an £8m renovation, it has been announced.

The Lancashire Telegraph reports that the money will come from a Levelling-Up grant of £20m to Blackburn with Darwen Council from the government, with the work concentrating on the interior of the building.

The remainder of the new money will go on refurbishment of nearby Tony’s Ballroom, the redevelopment of Blackburn's historic town centre The Exchange building, and transforming the Imperial Mill for employment and cultural use .

Blackburn with Darwen Council Leader Phil Riley said: "The announcement comes after months of hard work between council and government officials, who have together developed a strong investment package to support town centre growth priorities.

"At the heart of the bid is an impressive £8m to renovate the ever-popular King George’s Hall - a key element of Blackburn’s new £50m Cultural Quarter.

"There’ll also be new investment for the likes of Tony’s Ballroom, The Exchange and Imperial Mill.

"I am delighted with the money for King George's Hall which is an vital part of the cultural, artistic and leisure life of the borough and wider area."

Midlands theatre with RAAC could reopen next year

05 Mar 2024

A theatre in Solihull which closed last September after the discovery of dangerous concrete in its roof could reopen in 2025, it has been suggested.

Solihull Council said that a survey of the roof of The Core Theatre had made "positive findings", suggesting that areas of vulnerable reinforced autoclaved concrete (RAAC) could be repaired by next year.

The local authority said it will give a more exact opening date soon after a final technical report is delivered.

While the main auditorium remains closed, the council has developed an "alternative programme of cultural activity" backed by  £307,000 of funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority.

 

Council extends rent-free period for Battersea Arts Centre

04 Mar 2024

Wandsworth Council has agreed to extend Battersea Arts Centre’s (BAC) rent-free period until 2035 saving it in the region of £270,000.

Operating since 1974, BAC is a charity based in Battersea's Old Town Hall. The venue is a key partner in Wandsworth’s bid to be named London Borough of Culture 2025. 

BAC’s Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer Tarek Iskander said: “At a time when so many councils are cutting back on arts and culture funding, we’re exceptionally lucky to have such brilliant support from Wandsworth Borough Council. 

“2024 is an incredibly special year as we celebrate our 50th anniversary as an arts centre. BAC has always been part of a thriving arts community in Wandsworth, and that is in no small part due to the vital support we receive from the council, who continue to reaffirm their belief in the importance of arts and culture to public life.”

Council Deputy Leader and lead spokesperson on arts and culture Kemi Akinola added that she was delighted the council would “continue to offer such tangible and effective support” to BAC.

“BAC is not just Wandsworth’s but one of the UK’s leading cultural organisations, playing a vital role on the local, regional and national stage. 

“Not only does it bring significant footfall to the borough, over a third of their audiences have always been very local, appreciating the ground-breaking and unique work it provides on their doorsteps. 

“Most of their shows are offered as pay what you can, and with almost universal relaxed performances, making them more accessible to local underserved communities than any other London theatre.”

Downing Street labels Black Out theatre performances 'wrong'

Exterior of the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End
29 Feb 2024

Spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says concept of restricting audiences based on race is ‘concerning and divisive’.

Uncle Vanya NT Live takes over £1m

28 Feb 2024

The NT Live cinema release of Uncle Vanya starring Andrew Scott has taken over £1m in UK and Ireland box office sales since its release on 22 February.

Premiering at 737 venues, Uncle Vanya had the widest release of any NT Live production, taking £768,872 in a single night, rising to over £1m by the end of the weekend. It is the biggest success for NT Live since Empire Street Production’s Prima Facie, featuring a solo performance by Jodie Comer.

Uncle Vanya, which played sold-out runs at Richmond Theatre and Duke of York's Theatre last autumn, saw Golden Globe nominee Scott take on all the roles in a 105-minute adaptation of Chekov's classic play. The show was produced by Wessex Grove, Gavin Kalin Productions and Kater Gordon.
 

Loss of 'lifeline' theatre tax relief will mean fewer productions

The cast of Guys & Dolls at The Bridge Theatre
27 Feb 2024

A new survey conducted by SOLT & UK Theatre has found that a higher rate of Theatre Tax relief drove the employment of nearly 15,000 people in the last financial year.

Nederlander Theatres buys Dominion freehold

26 Feb 2024

The owner and operator of the Dominion Theatre in London's West End has purchased the Grade-II listed building's freehold with the support of a "multi-million-pound" loan from Lloyds Bank.

Nederlander Theatres, which also owns and operates the Aldwych Theatre and co-owns the Adelphi Theatre, said the acquisition of the freehold was the "culmination of a decades-long effort" by the family-run business to invest in and restore the art deco Tottenham Court Road theatre.

Jerry Katzman, CEO of the Dominion Theatre, said: “Our landlords were very understanding and have supported our efforts to invest in the Dominion, but owning it outright means we can continue to invest and operate in the way that will create the very best shows and experiences for our visitors. 
 
“The Nederlander family has been in the theatre business continuously since 1912. It’s their passion to keep theatres in the industry and restore them to their iconic magnificent grandeur. We now have the base to press on with that ambition, and the Dominion’s ready to deliver unmissable shows for generations to come.” 

“London’s West End is a huge draw for culture vultures from not just the UK, but across the whole world. The Dominion is at the heart of that, and the purchase helps protect a vital cultural asset in London," added Delcan Mulcahy, Technology, Media, and Telecoms sector head – mid-corporate at Lloyds Bank.

“The team behind the theatre have a clear vision, and owning the freehold has been a major strategic objective for decades. We’re proud to have helped the Dominion achieve that, and we remain by the side of creative businesses across London to dream big and be ambitious."
 

Reviving the fascinating art of millinery

Three hats on display on hat mannequins
26 Feb 2024

Millinery is often overlooked in the worlds of fashion and education. But, as Matthew Cunningham shares, it is experiencing a comeback.

Frazer speaks out against theatre trigger warnings

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer
21 Feb 2024

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says theatre audiences should be 'treated in an adult way' despite campaigners insisting that trigger warnings are an important tool for improving accessibility.

Chickenshed drops play with Palestinian themes

20 Feb 2024

Chickenshed Theatre removed a short play from a new writing showcase over concerns that its key theme of a British woman of Palestinian heritage trying to speak with her father in Israel did not include "the space or time for dialogue" given "the complexity of the situation in the Middle East".

Written and performed by Gemilla Shamrock, who works as a BA Tutor and mentor at Chickenshed, with Senior Creative Producer Dave Carey, Conversations with My Father was among ten short plays included in Chickenshed’s annual new writing review Changes Rota Two, which ran from 6 - 17 February.

In a statement on the company's website, Chickenshed Theatre said: "Conversations with my Father’ was an 8-minute piece created by Chickenshed, exploring the conversations between a father and daughter covering everything from tik-tok to football but also their sadness at the current situation in the Middle East.

"The piece was shown twice as part of Changes as, upon reflection and taking into account the incredible complexity of the situation in the Middle East, we felt the format of the platform did not provide the necessary opportunity for an open conversation or nuanced discussion to take place between Chickenshed and audiences around the themes and ideas explored in the piece.

"It is not uncommon for pieces in our new writing programme to be performed only once or twice, and the themes and stories often continue to be developed well after their initial presentation. 

"We continuously facilitate feedback sessions with audiences and our artists to ensure that inclusivity continues to lie at the heart of everything that Chickenshed does. Presenting Conversations with my Father as part of Changes did not include the space or time for a dialogue of this kind.

"The diversity of backgrounds and identities within the Chickenshed communities means that these stories are varied and often complex when they come together. Chickenshed aims to create an inclusive space for everyone, and we welcome open conversation surrounding topics that affect our audiences, our artists and students alike."

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