Bike Shed wins the public vote in this year’s TMA awards

The independent 60-seat Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter has won the coveted title of UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre at the TMA 2013 UK Theatre Awards. The theatre, which receives no regular public subsidy, beat off competition from more than 225 nominees: TMA members were entered automatically for the award, but it was also open for the first time to any professional theatre that offers legal and fair terms to all performers and stage management, in line with or better than the Equity Fringe Agreement. Bike Shed Theatre was one of seven theatres short-listed for the prize. Over 55k public votes were cast in a period of less than three weeks and to ensure a fair and competitive process the public voting system was weighted by theatre capacity, with the winner decided by number of public votes divided by number of venue seats. This meant that some larger venues which polled thousands of votes did not make the shortlist, including Newcastle Theatre Royal, Sage Gateshead and Wales Millennium Centre.

The Awards, which honour creative excellence and achievement in the theatre industry across the UK, also recognise off-stage excellence. Northern Ballet won the 2013 award for Achievement in Marketing for its communications campaign for the company’s tour of ‘The Great Gatsby’, against tough competition in the category from Hampstead Theatre, Thirty Seven Productions and the Royal Exchange Theatre. Laraine Penson, Northern Ballet’s Director of Communications, said: “The arts are full of creative communications professionals who are working very hard in a competitive market and difficult economy... This award recognises the achievements of the whole company because if the production and performance didn’t meet the audiences expectations all our work would be for nothing.”

Brenda Walliss, Front of House Manager at Torquay’s Princess Theatre, has been named Theatre Employee/ Manager of the Year, and Contact Theatre Manchester has been recognised for Promotion of Diversity. Director and Chief Executive Matt Fenton said: “It's great to see the diversity of Contact's young participants, staff and board reflected in our programme and audiences, and that this is recognised nationally with this award.”