The New Vic Theatre has welcomed the backing of the Denise Coates Foundation for its vision for the local theatre to be one of the top ten reasons to live and work in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. 

The Denise Coates Foundation will support the New Vic with a grant of £2.5 million, split across a five year period, with an aim to boost the theatre’s ambition to make sure that local people have access to the highest quality theatre and theatre-making regardless of their personal circumstances so that more people are able to experience and engage in the arts on a regular basis. 

The Newcastle-under-Lyme theatre regularly achieves national acclaim for the work it produces locally, includingMarvellous, which transferred to London last year and opened the first new West End theatre in over 50 years.

Thanks to this funding audiences can expect to see large scale shows on the New Vic stage, with further announcements coming soon, plus new play commissions, audience development initiatives, an increase in the number of creative artists the theatre is able to work with and an investment in making work the whole family can enjoy. 

Theresa Heskins, Artistic Director of the New Vic said: “We are so grateful to the Denise Coates Foundation for their generous support of our vision, that people from our area experience the highest quality theatre making on their doorstep. This grant is a fantastic endorsement of the quality of our work and means that we can continue to develop the level of artistic ambition and creativity that our audiences value so much.”

Fiona Wallace, New Vic Managing Director, said: “We are very proud of the work that the New Vic does but we couldn’t do any of it without the support of local people.  This generous grant from the Denise Coates Foundation recognises the important role we can play for the future of our area.  We have a strong track record of creating ambitious, high-quality theatre and this vital support will allow us to navigate the current economic climate in a positive way, making investments into future artistic work and audience growth for the theatre.”

Denise Coates CBE, Denise Coates Foundation, said: “This area is so lucky to have the New Vic, its productions bring joy and entertainment to so many.  This additional investment will further enhance the quality of its output and I am delighted that the Foundation is able to play its part in enabling the New Vic to take that next step in the delivery of its artistic ambition.