NEW VIC AWARDED NATIONAL FUNDING FOR MAJOR REFURBISHMENT PROJECT IN SUMMER 2020

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The New Vic Theatre has been awarded £353,225 by Arts Council England to help upgrade its famous theatre-in-the-round.

The funding award will enable the theatre to start a major fundraising and project plan that will see the most significant investment in the theatre’s main auditorium for over 30 years. The work is set to transform the much-loved venue, improving customer experience, increasing accessibility and enabling more people to engage with the theatre’s shows, education and community work. The improvements will allow the theatre to make the most of its building – Europe’s first purpose-built theatre-in-the-round – and maximise seating in the auditorium.

Plans for the project include replacing the theatre’s 600 seats, improving the theatre balcony, building a new stage and improving access for theatregoers. The work will complement investment in the theatre’s other public areas completed in 2015.

Fiona Wallace, Managing Director of the New Vic Theatre said: “Our unique in-the-round auditorium is the meeting place for our art and audiences. 33 years after the theatre was built, after welcoming over three million theatregoers, the auditorium urgently needs investment. We are very grateful to Arts Council England for this vital funding and support of our project. This investment is over and above everything we have done so far to maintain and repair the auditorium and seating, and will offer a step-change in terms of audience experience. We are looking forward to engaging theatregoers in the process now that we have the green light to go ahead.”

Peter Knott, Area Director of Arts Council England, said: “Our Capital: Small Grants programme provides organisations with vital funding to ensure that buildings and equipment are appropriate to support and host exciting work for the public. We’re pleased to be supporting the New Vic as they continue to make their iconic theatre a more accessible and enjoyable place to experience live theatre.”

The New Vic will take an extended break from producing shows in Summer 2020, with the closure of the main auditorium during the works. All other areas of the theatre building will remain open throughout the project.

The investment is part of the Arts Council’s National Lottery funded Small Capital programme, which will see a total of £2,427,380 supporting organisations in the Midlands. The New Vic is one of 46 organisations across the country who will receive investment from the Capital: Small Grants programme in the latest round of funding. The programme supports organisations to develop resilience and become more sustainable, ensuring they have the right buildings and equipment to be able to produce and present great work, benefiting audiences, artists and communities across the country.

The New Vic will run a fundraising campaign to meet the overall target for the project of £600,000. Further details of the redevelopment project and accompanying fundraising campaign will be available soon.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1458774858440{background-color: #e8e8e8 !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1458953109567{padding-right: 40px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;}”][vc_row_inner el_id=”info”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”ABOUT NEW VIC THEATRE” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1471090035728{padding-top: 10px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner css=”.vc_custom_1458775554849{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-12″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1471090918159{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”]

HISTORY

The New Vic Theatre origins go back to the late Stephen Joseph, director, actor, designer, lecturer and writer who in the late 1950’s, founded a small theatre Company to explore a new layout for performance: theatre-in-the-round.

The company’s first base was Scarborough from which it toured to towns without their own theatres. Newcastle-under-Lyme was visited regularly and eventually a permanent North Staffordshire home was planned. On 9 October 1962, a converted Staffordshire cinema opened its doors as a theatre.

By 1983, having built a highly respected reputation and audience, the then director, Peter Cheeseman, launched an appeal to raise funds for a new theatre.  With local donations totalling over £1 million, the New Vic opened in August 1986.  After twenty-five years work dedicated to the people of North Staffordshire, Cheeseman’s passion and determination finally achieved the realisation of Stephen Joseph’s vision: the first purpose-built theatre-in-the-round in Europe.

Today, under the artistic direction of Theresa Heskins, the New Vic Theatre continues to enjoy massive success, building on its enviable reputation as a leader in producing and making theatre, not only in the UK, but across the world.  Locally the New Vic theatre delivers a £12.5 million impact on the Staffordshire economy, with around 150,000 annual visits to the building and an 11% growth in audiences over the last five years.

Find out more about the history of the New Vic Theatre

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INFORMATION

The New Vic Theatre is unique to Staffordshire for a few reasons.  Firstly its the official regional producing theatre for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire creating around eight productions per year.  Secondly as a theatre-in-the-round, it brings with it a less traditional setting in which to enjoy world class theatre production.

The New Vic is also big on community and the contribution it makes.  It also is well regarded for its sterling collaborative work with writers, directors and other producing theatres.

It is funded by the Arts Council England, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

BOX OFFICE: 01782 717962
ADDRESS Etruria Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 0JG
WEBSITE www.newvictheatre.org.uk
FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/New-Vic-Theatre
TWITTER @NewVicTheatre
E tickets@newvictheatre.org.uk[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1458956769933{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]Note that the links above will take you out of this website to third party websites and social media accounts.

If any of them are out of date or any information provided amended please let us know.
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