More than 100,000 young people across England will have the opportunity to develop new skills and confidence through theatre with funding from the government’s Every Child Can programme, announced today by the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy at a special event held with partners at the National Theatre.
The funding supports National Theatre Nationwide, a new national partnership which will share shows, youth projects, digital access and skills training, embedding the National Theatre’s activity and resource across all nine English regions with 12 leading theatres. The following lead partners make up the Nationwide network: Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, Birmingham Hippodrome, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Curve in Leicester, Lowry in Salford, Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Norwich Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, Southampton Mayflower, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Theatre Royal, Nottingham. Each partner theatre will curate the elements of the programme that feels most relevant for their local community, co-created with the National Theatre.
At a time when many families continue to face cost-of-living pressures, the partnership is united by a shared purpose: making the arts more affordable and accessible, and a career in them possible to young people in every post code. National Theatre Nationwide will give more young people, wherever they live, the chance to experience the transformative power of theatre: to express themselves, discover what they’re capable of, build confidence, forge new friendships and feel proud of where they come from.
Up to £15 million from the government’s Dormant Assets Scheme over the next four years, combined with funding secured by the National Theatre, will bring the total investment in the programme to £27 million. This represents a generational commitment to developing young people’s future through theatre, and new theatre audiences across the country.
The launch of this landmark partnership was celebrated with the partners at the National Theatre hosted by Co-Chief Executives Indhu Rubasingham and Kate Varah. Theatre leaders, young people and well-known actors and creatives including Adjoa Andoh, Fisayo Akinade, Jim Carter, James Graham, Jill Halfpenny, Adrian Lester, Joe Locke, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bella Maclean, Francesca Mills, Imelda Staunton, and Indira Varma from every region of England joined Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, to share their lasting experiences of theatre and the impact that theatre can have on opportunities, careers, and creativity.
At the event the 12 partners shared how National Theatre Nationwide will bring world class National Theatre performances into their own theatres and local schools alongside learning and skills programmes into their communities, creating a holistic, year-round programme that will widen access to theatre, and help young people in each locality enrich their lives and take their first steps towards careers. Threaded through the programme is an emphasis on representing the experiences, interests and voices of young people across England, achieved through creation of a new National Theatre Nationwide Youth Council and by locating ten Youth Managers focused on the partnership in theatres across the country.
The funding announced today forms part of the government’s Every Child Can programme, delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, helping to break down barriers to opportunity by funding activities and facilities that young people might otherwise struggle to access. Irrigating the National Theatre’s work, resources and expertise across the country through this extensive partnership with leading theatres, the programme will expand access to world-class theatre in places where opportunities can be limited, creating new pathways into the arts and careers in theatre and beyond for young people everywhere.
This tailored, wide-ranging programme will also address significant challenges across the sector. Theatres face very real skills shortages, and young people are struggling to gain employment without the opportunity to learn these vital skills. This programme offers a chance to close that gap. Data from DCMS shows that 30% of job vacancies in the cultural sector are affected by skills shortages, with 60% of theatres reporting that staff shortages have worsened since 2019. In addition, research from Ravensbourne University found that 75% of 18-25 year-olds want to work in creative sectors, but 42% say it’s too hard to find entry-level opportunities.
National Theatre Nationwide will address this by delivering:
Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: “I am tired of being told that not everybody can or should have access to the best of what this country has to offer. Arts and culture gives the chance to live a richer, larger life and that chance should be afforded to every young person.
“Experiencing the joy of theatre shouldn’t be restricted to only those who can afford it or who were born in the right postcode. This programme takes the very best of the National Theatre and brings it to the doorsteps of our young people across the country, many for the first time ever, to help them find their spark, expand their horizons and encourage them to see a creative future for themselves.”
Sir Ian McKellen, said: “It is appropriate that a National Theatre should live up to its name by taking their work round the country. For young audiences living far away from the NT’s London headquarters, here is a chance to see them close to home and get involved. If this means that theatre-going becomes a habit rather than an occasional adventure, hurrah!
“Live theatre has been available in this country ever since the birth of modern drama. It is increasingly costly, so it’s encouraging to all of us who care about the future of live theatre, that central government is playing its part, supporting theatre people and our audiences.”
Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, Kate Varah said: “A young person’s chance to experience the transformative benefits of theatre should not depend on their postcode or what their family can afford. National Theatre Nationwide turns this groundbreaking government investment into practical opportunities for young people in every region: be that a seat at a major production offering a first experience of theatre, seeing a schools show that unlocks their learning potential, the chance to write or make a show themselves or discover a hands-on career behind the scenes.
“Theatre has the power to spark imagination, build confidence and bring people together. Working with our 12 partners theatres across every English region, and they with local organisations in turn, means we can build something lasting, shaped by local communities and young people themselves. This is about more than finding the next generation of theatre-makers. It is about giving 100,000 young people the chance to discover what they enjoy, what they are good at, and where their creativity could take them. This is an investment in their futures, in the future of our sector and of our country.”
Chris Stafford, Chief Executive of Curve, Leicester, said: “At Curve, we are committed to ensuring theatre is for everybody, and following the success and impact of Theatre Nation Partnerships, we are delighted to once again be collaborating with the National Theatre and 11 partner theatres across the country.
“Building on a shared vision and ambition, National Theatre Nationwide is an exciting opportunity to strengthen connections with audiences, share skills and best practice, and learn from one another. Through this partnership, we look forward to building on the work we deliver with and for audiences and young people across Leicester and beyond, ensuring even more people can experience and engage with theatre.”
