Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust

Charity Details

Full Name: Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust Limited
Field: Arts & Heritage
Founded: 1837
Headquarters: Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BR
Charity No.: 504473

History and Activities

Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust manages both the Theatre Royal and the City Hall, two of Newcastle’s premier performing arts venues in the heart of the city. Both venues are grade 1 listed buildings and of significant architectural importance to the city. The Theatre Royal is a dramatic neo-classical fronted building, the finest theatre façades in the region, built on Grey Street in 1837 by the visionary; Richard Grainger, and his architects.  Grey Street has consistently been appreciated as one the UK’s most picturesque streets and the Theatre Royal dominates the vista. In 2017 the theatre hosted 399 performances to 375,526 people, generating £114.4 million at the box office. Newcastle City Hall is less grandiose, ostentatious and is outwardly more utilitarian. Nevertheless, the theatre dates back to 1927 and has hosted some of the most iconic moments in Newcastle’s music history. In 2017, City Hall hosted 82 performances to a combined audience of 112,852 fans, generating £2.4 million at the box office.

Although the vast majority of the Trust’s income is derived from box-office takings, it also received £153,304 in donations in 2017. This included a generous £100,000 donation from the Catherine Cookson Foundation. In addition to donations, every time a ticket is purchased, £1.75 is directed towards the trusts charitable income. This is called a heritage donation. These donations totalled £593,461 in 2017 and are specifically designated for the purpose of ensuring the Theatre Royal and City Hall are preserved in perpetuity.

The charity offers an educational programme, which in 2016, worked with approximately 7,250 people of all ages through a variety of projects. Outreach programmes in partnerships with local schools and a children’s summer school all aim to increase participation in the arts from a young age but there is also a club for older adults which is hosted at the theatre. Commenting on their charitable work, CEO Philip Bernays says ‘we are the principal theatre in the region and with that, we have a civic responsibility … a cultural responsibility to engage with people in the art of theatre’.

Vital Statistics (year to 31/1/2017)

Website
https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk

References