Suffolk theatre organisations join the region’s first touring consortium
East Anglia’s leading theatre and arts organisations have joined forces to launch the East Anglian Touring Consortium.
The ambitious collaboration, the first of its kind in the region, will introduce a fresh and innovative approach designed to tackle the challenges of midscale touring, and bring high-quality, original theatre made by and for the people of East Anglia to communities across the region and beyond.
The collaboration will see Suffolk’s Eastern Angles, HighTide, New Wolsey Theatre and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds join with Landmark Theatres (New Theatre Peterborough), Mercury Theatre Colchester and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch to work together on a region-wide sustainable model for midscale touring, with a clear focus on new writing, local talent development, skills development and audience development.
A world premiere musical production
The consortium’s debut production is due to be announced shortly.
With early development already underway, the ambitious new British musical will draw inspiration from East Anglia’s rich cultural history.
It is written by Olivier Award-winning writer, composer and performer Vikki Stone, who says: “It is a delight to work with the East Anglia Touring Consortium team to develop this exciting new show. We can’t wait to share the news but can tell you now that you can expect a show that is bold, loud and joyfully defiant, which celebrates the rich cultural history of the area!”
Lead produced by the New Wolsey Theatre, the production will tour five local venues, with a digital release designed to serve isolated rural communities.
Douglas Rintoul, Chief Executive/Artistic Director, says: “This is not just about creating one ambitious show. It marks a level of collaboration never before seen in our region. This investment, and the collective ambition behind it, allows us to think bigger than ever for East Anglia - telling epic stories rooted in our people and places, while laying the foundations for a legacy of bold theatre-making for years to come.”
The show may be under wraps for now but stay tuned for more exciting news.
A model for the future
Backed by a National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England, with significant funding from each of the consortium members, the East Anglia Touring Consortium is designed to be both financially and environmentally sustainable.
At its core is the aim to increase meaningful access and inclusion across diverse, under-served and marginalised communities, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and rurally isolated areas.
The project is also a strategic investment in East Anglia’s creative economy. At least 50% of the freelance workforce will be drawn from the region and a week-long development period with target audiences will ensure the work is co-created with community input. In addition, the consortium will facilitate peer learning, staff training and shared knowledge-building across organisations.
“This is a very exciting moment for theatre in East Anglia,” said Paul Jepson, CEO and Creative Director of Landmark Theatres, on behalf of the consortium. “This collaboration allows us to deliver high-quality, newly commissioned work at scale, reaching under-served rural communities across the region, while also benefiting from the sharing of our combined skills. We’ll be announcing the first production very soon – watch this space.”
The touring model will be independently evaluated to shape future strategies and encourage wider adoption across the UK, and it is hoped this pilot will pave the way for more resilient, collaborative approaches to theatre-making nationwide.