Derby Theatre has been awarded £1.5 million over three years by Arts Council England to become a producing hub, supporting and strengthening the performing arts sector in its area.
The East Midlands venue is one of only two in the country to be selected to receive the money from the National Lottery and will work with companies including Baby People, China Plate, Crying Out Loud, Déda, Derby City Council, Derby County Community Trust, Maison Foo, Milk Presents, Not Too Tame, QUAD, University of Derby and Wild Rumpus to create theatre in new ways.
Work will be programmed in community settings across Derby while small-scale productions will tour the area and beyond. Mid-scale work will be performed on the Derby Theatre stage and new outdoor work will play at festivals.
Sarah Brigham, chief executive and artistic director of Derby Theatre, said, “we very much look forward to collaborating, creating and presenting work which connects and resonates with the communities our organisations serve.
“I’m also excited to embed and present our work in a range of new and exciting spaces, providing community-related development opportunities for artists. We hope this pilot scheme will allow us to test new ways of making excellent arts experiences for all.”
Peter Knott, Midlands area director of Arts Council England, added, “the project offers an opportunity to revitalise the creation of new work, with the Derbyshire community right at its heart, and we’re pleased to support Derby Theatre and its partners as they create completely original theatre, community work and artist development opportunities.”