Mid-scale Venues Impact Report, November 2025

Sixteen theatres from across England have joined together to shine a timely light on the difference our regional venues make creatively, socially and economically to our communities, our industry and the wider landscape. 

It has been estimated that for every £1 spent in a theatre, an additional £1.40 is spent elsewhere within a local economy as part of the theatre visit.  Using this figure as a guide, these sixteen theatres generated around £82,062,184 in additional indirect revenue for their local economies in 2023/24. 

This new report demonstrates the many hidden contributions these dynamic organisations make beyond ‘just’ providing entertainment, such as shaping life choices, creating employment, training artists and theatre-makers, improving well-being, reducing social isolation, driving investment, enhancing place-making, providing local leadership, and generating business growth.  The report illustrates the theatres’ ambitions for this work and the entrepreneurial ways they generate inward investment to deliver culture, social change and capital projects. 

‘We came together to create this report because we wanted to demonstrate that what we do stretches far beyond the work on our stages. Whilst the data included here is drawn from the 16 contributing venues, similar stories and impact are seen in theatres across the country and show the vital role we have within our communities.’ Caroline Routh, Executive Director, Stephen Joseph Theatre 

Regional theatres act as hubs for theatre production and talent development, whilst presenting a wide range of artforms (drama, music, dance, film and more) to audiences, and extensively engaging with their communities, generating creative and social outcomes. They are place-makers, with their institutions contributing to civic pride and renewal, as well as stimulating economic growth. As creative engines, in terms of artistic output and talent development, their work contributes to the UK theatre’s global success. 

However, despite this demonstrable impact and value for money, the mid-scale theatre sector is fragile. The last five years have been volatile for theatres, charities and small businesses. Local government funding for culture has decreased by 48% per person in real terms between 2009–2023, while Arts Council England core funding per person fell by 18% in real terms. The UK now has one of the lowest levels of public investment in culture in the European area. 

Theatre is a significant part of the UK’s creativity industries, one of the fastest growing parts of the country’s economy and a priority within the Government’s Industrial Strategy. This welcome report clearly demonstrates the vital roles our theatres play when you take a peek behind the curtain. 

Read the full report here MSV report – final.pdf