update report - Summer 2024
Many of you will remember our excitement last year when Wicked chose theatre works! as one of their charity partners. As part of their 'For Good' initiative, Wicked fundraised on behalf of theatre works!, raising donations from fans and ticket partners during their annual ‘Wicked Day’ celebrations.
Imagine how thrilled we were in March of this year when the producers of Wicked gave us an additional gift of £10,000 worth of tickets for children to attend the London production. We announced the grant on social media in May and had our first application the next day.
Above: Students from Ward Green Primary School attend Boy at the Back of the Class, Lyceum Theatre
Coupled with an earlier gift of £10,000 worth of Shakespeare Globe tickets from an anonymous donor, this provides easier access to two major London theatres for young people to attend.
Alongside the big London shows, 80% of our offer continues to be support for regional theatres. The vast majority of young people experience the magic of theatre through excellent UK and US regional theatre networks. We are excited that our UK reach has recently extended to two theatres in Scotland, the Dundee Rep and the Edinburgh Playhouse. In the US, theatre works! recently awarded grants to both the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis and Timeline Theatre in Chicago. Both venues have large and impressive education programmes. Timeline for example provides a six-part curriculum to accompany each show.
All these initiatives have culminated in grants for over 12,500 theatre tickets to young people since the charity started. We have reviewed applications from over 60 schools and 20 theatres.
As always, it’s inspiring to hear what young people have to say about their theatre experiences:
‘I thought I was not going to like it because I am not into art but the actors are really good and they made me feel different kinds of emotions’. Caroline or Change, Actors Playhouse, Miami
‘It’s better in real life than on tv, the quality is tons better’. Arabian Nights, Bristol Old Vic
‘I have never seen anything like it, it’s mad that it’s happening in front of us’. Annie, The Musical, Unsworth Academy, Opera House Manchester
And the Headteacher from the same school wrote,
‘It was truly wonderful to see children who had never had the chance to go to the theatre before have a life experience that they will never forget. The whole trip was a roaring success and both children and parents were so happy they had the chance to do something so inspiring and memorable.’
Above: Students from Unsworth Academy attend ‘Annie’, Opera House, Manchester
On a separate note, Graham, my husband and Co-founder, and I are pleased that our initial work around the proverbial kitchen table has built up to a part-time team of nine. Check out our Meet the Team section below. After hearing about our Grant Coordinator Louise’s first theatre experience at Annie we are tempted to make ‘The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow’ our charity’s theme song. (England’s winter was a particularly wet one this year so it feels even more appropriate.)
Finally we are announcing our new strapline along with some thoughts of what you can do to ensure the long-term sustainability of theatre works!
Thank you for your support and for believing in the power of theatre to change lives.
Warm wishes
Sharon, Chair and Co-founder
Bringing the magic of Wicked to schools
This generous grant opens theatre doors to young minds, allowing students aged 7-16 to immerse themselves in a story of friendship, courage and the transformative power of perspective.
Our grants, which can be used to cover ticket prices, transport and related educational materials, target UK schools with a minimum of 30% Free School meals. The magic doesn't stop at the performance. Students have a unique chance to engage with the stars of the show through Q&A sessions held on Wednesdays after the matinee performance. These sessions provide a rare glimpse into the world of professional theatre, offering students a meaningful way to connect with the actors and wider company and gain insights into the craft of storytelling and different roles within the theatre.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the producers of Wicked and to all our donors whose contributions make such transformative experiences possible. Your support not only helps us create lasting memories, but also helps to inspire the next generation of theatre lovers and performers.
To apply for free or discounted tickets and to sign up for the Q&A sessions, schools can visit our website here. Let’s work together to ensure that every child has the chance to be enchanted by the magic of Wicked and the performing arts in general.
Above: Globe Theatre
Funding still available from a special Shakespeare’s Globe grant!
Thanks to a generous donor, £10,000 was made available earlier this year for schools to attend the Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London. Three schools so far have been awarded grants to attend the Globe, providing invaluable inspiration to young people.
We still have £6,000 available for further grant applications. If your school or community group is passionate about theatre and wants to see a world class production, you can apply for up to £2,500 in funding (a higher amount than our normal school grant). These grants can cover costs for tickets, transport and related educational experiences.
Meet the Team
When Graham and I started theatre works! during the pandemic, we moved quickly to create a team to ensure the charity had a sustainable future. We wanted to create a scalable structure that could handle an increasing number of grant applications without large increases in headcount.
We have a team of nine part-time paid and volunteer workers who help us. Bitter Lemon Creative, our marketing agency, does all our social media and website work.
Meet the team by reading their profiles on our website, and make sure to say hello when you get in touch.
We need new team volunteers:
Theatre Development (UK) As we become established with more and more theatres, we require a volunteer to liaise with theatres to support their grant applications, and with our Grants Coordinator. We aim to support these partners in providing tickets and related educational activities to schools with the most socially and economically disadvantaged students.
We are presently working with around fifteen regional theatres across the UK, for example The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton; Bristol Old Vic; The Royal Exchange, Manchester: The Northern Stage, Newcastle; The Kings and Theatre Royal, Glasgow and Dundee Rep, and are regularly adding new theatre partners. We also partner with London Theatres such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Apollo Theatre (Wicked) and Lyceum Theatre (Lion King).
Fundraising With the welcome growth in grants, we need to raise an increasing level of donations. We are seeking someone to lead this position on a part-time basis.
Apply to info@theatreworks.global.
We are enormously grateful for the dedication of our team who provide efficient support to enable us to process the many applications we receive.
New Strap Line
Some of you will remember Graham badgering over 60 of you to complete a short-form questionnaire, choosing the most appropriate strapline from the six short-listed possibilities. It was a tough call as there were strong finalists amongst the 60 completed forms.
A drum roll please! The winner, and new theatre works! strapline, is ‘Inspiring young lives’.
We sought a few memorable words to pair seamlessly with our distinctive theatre works! logo, encapsulating the essence of our values and goals. The selection process was a collective effort, capturing the diverse insights and passion of our UK and US friends
At theatre works! we aim to inspire young lives, especially those from economically or socially disadvantaged backgrounds. We firmly believe - and have evidence to support it - that access to theatre can enhance young people's economic prospects and overall well-being, fostering a brighter future not just for them, but for the entire community. Theatre has the power to unlock potential, boost confidence and create opportunities.
Above: Students from Queensbridge School, Birmingham enjoy a Q & A with Wicked cast members
Donation News: Creating a Sustainable Future for theatre works!
As we celebrate our third anniversary as a charity, we are pleased to report a significant increase in grant applications over the past year. To service these applications and enable even more children to experience the benefits of live theatre, we need to increase the funding base for the charity.
Contributions ranging from £/$5 to £/$10,000 are vital in supporting our mission to bring the magic of live theatre to disadvantaged children. 100% of every donation goes directly to our programmes as all administrative costs are covered by our founders. All donations received in the UK support our work in the UK, and the same is true in the US.
We invite you to consider regular contributions to theatre works! through monthly or annual commitments. Additionally, we offer options for UK and US legacy giving. Links to both can be found on our website, under the Donation section.
We also encourage you to read the insightful article, ‘Donating for Long-Term Good: Thinking Beyond Cash’, available on our website. This piece, prepared by a UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) expert, explores various sustainable giving options such as gifting assets, pension plans and life insurance policies. We believe it will provide valuable information for donors looking to make a lasting impact.
Thank you for your continued support in making live theatre accessible to economically and social deprived children. We are deeply appreciative of all your contributions and would like to invite you to spread the word about theatre works! to your friends, relatives and colleagues. If each of our supporters could recruit two new supporters, it would immediately result in a significant increase in the number of children served. Together, we can create a brighter future through the transformative power of theatre.
If donating in the UK please indicate your willingness to agree to Gift Aid (subject to your taxable income level), which increases your donation by a valuable 25%.
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