THEATR CLWYD MOVES INTO CHARITABLE TRUST
Theatr Clwyd and Flintshire County Council, today announce that the theatre is moving into an independent trust, after 44 years as a department of a Local Authority. The move comes as part of an organisational change at Flintshire County Council and allows Theatr Clwyd to align itself with all other major UK producing theatres and establish itself as a charitable trust with supporting trading subsidiaries.
Theatr Clwyd’s alternative governance model has been a shared objective with Flintshire County Council during the past five years and will come into force from 1 April 2021. The transition will provide the theatre with greater control of funding agreements allowing for better long-term planning, and the ability to create processes and governance structures specific to theatre operations. For Flintshire County Council, the move reduces the council’s infrastructural burden, whilst allowing them to continue funding the services provided by Theatr Clwyd including the delivery of world class cultural product, the county’s music service, and wider community wellbeing and resilience work.
Liam Evans-Ford, today said, “This is a truly positive announcement following on from 18 months of detailed discussions and negotiations – a change that will enhance our long-standing partnership with Flintshire County Council. This will allow Theatr Clwyd to be more agile and efficient as a business, whilst sharing risk with our Local Authority to ensure we remain a major employer in the area, continue to deliver the highest standard of cultural product, and increase the valuable work within our local communities.”
Colin Everett, CEO of Flintshire County Council, also commented, “This move to a new body will protect the Theatr and its future during such uncertain times. The commitment of the Council to continue to fund and support the Theatre is absolute. We will stay close to each other and the Theatr will continue to provide great community benefit for the local area.”
The award-winning Theatr Clwyd is Wales’ biggest producing theatre. Since 1976, the theatre has created exceptional theatre from its home in Flintshire, North Wales, pushing theatrical boundaries and creating world-class productions. Theatr Clwyd is one of only four theatres in the UK to build sets and props, make costumes and paint scenery in-house – nurturing the skills vital to a vibrant theatre industry. The theatre also hosts an artist development programme, trainee technicians’ scheme and an eighteen-month traineeship for directors, to develop the Artistic Directors of the future. In addition to supporting early career theatre workers, Theatr Clwyd also works extensively with the local community with award-winning Community Engagement projects such as Arts from the Armchair, and Justice In A Day.
This move comes as Theatr Clwyd has completed the public consultation period for a major Capital Redevelopment Project which will reimagine the theatre’s public spaces and create a greener, more efficient and sustainable building.
ABOUT THEATR CLWYD
The award-winning Theatr Clwyd is Wales’ biggest producing theatre. Since 1976 Theatr Clwyd has created exceptional theatre from its home in Flintshire, North Wales. Driven by the vision and dynamism of award-winning Artistic Director Tamara Harvey and Executive Director Liam Evans-Ford, Theatr Clwyd pushes theatrical boundaries creating world-class productions.
Theatr Clwyd’s recent partnership with the National Theatre led to the creation of Home, I’m Darling which won Best New Comedy at the Olivier Awards and was nominated in five categories including Best Set Design and Best Costume Design. Other projects of note include the UK Theatre Award-winning musical The Assassination of Katie Hopkins, the site specific, immersive Great Gatsby and the Menier Chocolate Factory co-production of Orpheus Descending.
Theatr Clwyd is one of only four theatres in the UK to build sets and props, make costumes and paint scenery in-house. Their impressive team of workshop, wardrobe and scenic artists, props makers and technicians ensure the skills vital to a vibrant theatre industry are nurtured right in the heart of Wales, developing the theatre makers of the future. In addition to this, Theatr Clwyd hosts an artist development programme, trainee technicians’ scheme and an eighteen month traineeship for directors, to develop the Artistic Directors of the future.
Theatr Clwyd works in the community across all art forms and is recognised as a cultural leader for its cross generational theatre groups, work in youth justice and diverse programme of arts, health and wellbeing. Award-winning Community Engagement projects include Arts from the Armchair, in partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which uses theatrical making skills to help people with early onset memory loss and their carers, and Justice In A Day, working in schools and the law courts to help at risk children to realise the consequences of crime.
Theatr Clwyd has completed the public consultation period for a major Capital Redevelopment Project which will reimagine the theatre’s public spaces and create a greener, more efficient and sustainable building where world-class art can thrive and social action is rooted for generations to come.
During the Covid-19 pandemic the theatre has been active in helping its community, from hosting blood donation sessions and distributing food to vulnerable families to creating digital dance workshops for those with Parkinson’s and sharing creative packages and activities with those most isolated.
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