Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities

Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities is our new capacity building programme for the theatres sector.

The three-year programme, made possible thanks to a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund as well as funding from the Pilgrim Trust and Swire Charitable Trust, aims to reduce the threat to At Risk theatres and strengthen the theatre sector’s resilience following a difficult few years due to the pandemic.

Through the project, we aim to enrich the knowledge, skills and confidence of the cultural heritage sector, but specifically communities considering or already taking over a theatre building.

The project also develops our own organisational approach to supporting groups.

Capacity building grants

A grants programme will fund strategic and organisational development work for three to six theatres a year, targeted at those theatres that need it the most. Find out more about the grant scheme.

Read about the recipients for the first round.

Training and knowledge sharing

This will include a cohort in-person training for six theatre groups per year (18 in total) from our Theatres at Risk Register.

A series of free webinars open to all theatres will support knowledge sharing and developing expertise across the sector. This will be supported by the development of a series of practical advice notes.

Access the webinar recordings and resources.

Skills Bank

The project will also develop Theatres Trust’s approach to supporting the sector through the procurement of a bank of specialist consultants to provide mentoring advice and troubleshooting support on an ad hoc basis,  boosting Theatres Trust’s existing advice-giving service. 

We had a fantastic response to our call for consultants and given the quality of applicants and the variety of skills offered, we have decided to appoint 77 advisers to the Skills Bank.

The specialisms covered include capital works development and delivery, procurement, property and charity law, audience development, viability appraisals, changing management and impact evaluation.

Find out more

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