Friday 4 November 2022

We are delighted at today’s news and thank Arts Council England for their continued faith and investment in our theatres. Our successful bid to return to the National Portfolio ensures we can continue to deliver against our ambitious vision, with a focus on artistic innovation, talent development and social change.

CEO Mark Da Vanzo said:

“We are delighted to be back in the National Portfolio and thank Arts Council England for their ongoing support and belief in us. We are ready to play our part in driving continued recovery, working collaboratively locally and nationally to create brilliant programmes of activity on and off stage, progressing key agendas including equity, diversity, inclusion, environmental sustainability and sustainable cultural models, while developing and enabling culture to be enjoyed by a wider range of people.”

Andrea Nixon, Chair of Liverpool & Merseyside Theatres Trust (LMTT) which runs the Everyman and Playhouse Theatres, added:

“We are at an exciting moment in the theatres’ history with a new creative lead, an ambitious programme and a clear financial model in place. We’re excited for the next few years as to what we can achieve collectively with colleagues across the sector, creating and bringing exciting theatre to the city, developing talent and driving social change.”

The theatres will receive £5,434,008 over the three year term of funding from April 2023. This investment will allow us to play our part in the local and national theatre ecology, continuing to commission and develop stories that matter to Liverpool and resonate with our audiences; bring the very best of UK and international touring to the city region; support artists at every stage of their career and ensure our spaces are inclusive and that our governance and workforce are representative of the communities we serve.

We will continue to deliver programmes within the communities we serve with partners including Life Rooms, Alder Hey Hospital and SOLA Arts; support health and well-being, skills development, confidence and employability for young people through our Young Everyman Playhouse programme and work in schools, colleges and universities. All of this serves to help the continuing recovery of the city region from the pandemic and create more opportunities for a wider range of people to enjoy culture.