News – Economic impact

Theatre in the West Midlands contributes around £148m each year to the local economy, according to a new survey.

This figure, which does not include the impact of touring theatre companies or non building-based theatre activity, was achieved with public subsidy worth £25m from Arts Council West Midlands and the various local authorities of the West Midlands. The research, carried out by Dominic Shellard, looked at 22 theatres across the region, calculating spending by venues and audiences. Forty-three per cent of theatre-related revenues were found to be generated by the activities of the Royal Shakepeare Company in Stratford.