Theatres Trust

Theatres Trust
Name	Theatres Trust
Formation	1976
Type	Statutory advisory body, charity
Headquarters	London
Region served	England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Leader title	Chief Executive
Parent organisation	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Theatres Trust Theatres Trust is the statutory advisory body for theatres in the United Kingdom, established to protect theatre buildings and heritage. It engages with planning authorities, heritage bodies, local authorities and arts organisations to safeguard venues from inappropriate change or loss. The Trust combines heritage advocacy, planning advice and research to influence decisions affecting historic and contemporary theatres across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

History

The Trust was created following debates in the 1970s about the survival of 19th and 20th-century theatres, drawing on campaigns led by figures associated with National Trust, English Heritage, Historic Scotland, and preservationists connected to theatres such as the Garrick Theatre, Ambassador Theatre, Hackney Empire, and Dublin Theatre Festival. Early interventions involved collaboration with organisations like Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House, English Touring Theatre, and local civic trusts facing closures similar to cases at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, Theatre Royal, Brighton, and the Grand Theatre, Blackpool. Legislative context included responses to reforms linked with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and earlier planning policy instruments shaped by Department for Culture, Media and Sport discussions.

Mission and Functions

The Trust’s mission is to secure the future of theatre buildings by advising on planning matters, advocating heritage protection and promoting sustainable uses for performing arts venues. It monitors theatres from historic playhouses like the Globe Theatre and the Shaftesbury Theatre to regional venues such as the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, and newer producing spaces created by companies like National Theatre, English National Opera, and Welsh National Opera. The Trust provides guidance to stakeholders including Arts Council England, Historic England, Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland, and municipal authorities responsible for assets such as the Derngate Theatre and Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Governance and Funding

Governance is by a board of trustees appointed through processes involving ministers and cultural institutions; the body operates as a charity and receives funding from public bodies, trusts and philanthropic sources. Financial arrangements have involved grants from Arts Council England, project funding linked to initiatives by Heritage Lottery Fund (now National Lottery Heritage Fund), and occasional support from local authorities and private donors associated with venues like the Barbican Centre and Sadler's Wells Theatre. Its governance interfaces with statutory frameworks administered by Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and planning authorities such as the Greater London Authority.

Advisory and Planning Role

The Trust provides statutory advice on planning applications affecting theatre premises, engaging with local planning authorities, developers and cultural organisations. It submits responses on proposals involving redevelopment, demolition or change of use concerning theatres like the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, Bristol Old Vic, Old Vic, Her Majesty's Theatre, London, and smaller community venues such as the Scala, King’s Cross and the Criterion Theatre. The Trust’s advice is cited alongside reports produced by bodies such as Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Institute of Historic Building Conservation, and casework emerging from listings by Historic England and scheduling by Cadw.

Conservation and Listed Theatres

A core activity is campaigning for appropriate listing and conservation management for theatres with architectural and historic significance, including Victorian and Edwardian examples like the Almeida Theatre, Palace Theatre, Manchester, Apollo Theatre, and interwar cinemas converted to live performance venues such as the Prince of Wales Theatre. The Trust works with conservationists tied to Victorian Society, Twentieth Century Society, and local heritage groups to secure statutory protection under listing regimes and to advise on repairs, alterations and adaptive reuse for theatres such as the Hippodrome, Birmingham and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Campaigns and Notable Interventions

The Trust has led or supported high-profile campaigns to save theatres threatened by redevelopment, collaborating with unions, companies and campaign groups in crises reminiscent of interventions around the Royal Court Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, and municipal theatres such as the Swan Theatre, Worcester. It has intervened in planning inquiries, participated in judicial review processes, and influenced outcomes in partnership with organisations like English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Save Britain’s Heritage, and major producing companies including Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Liverpool Everyman. Notable interventions include successful advocacy for refurbishments, reversals of harmful planning consents and securing investments tied to cultural regeneration programmes exemplified by works in Covent Garden, Blackpool and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Publications and Research

The Trust publishes research, guidance and casework briefings on theatre buildings, commissioning studies used by practitioners and policymakers. Publications address topics from viability assessments and condition surveys to adaptive reuse, informed by data sets from organisations like Arts Council England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Heritage Lottery Fund, and academic research from institutions including University of York, University of Bristol, University of Glasgow, and King's College London. These outputs are used by operators of venues such as the Citizens Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, The Lowry, and consultancy partners including AECOM and DP9.

Category:Organisations based in London Category:Theatre in the United Kingdom Category:Heritage organisations in the United Kingdom