Derby Theatre is more than just a building. Over the last 50 years, people of all ages have shared experiences, made memories and enjoyed the magic of theatre. It is a much-loved venue, a place of learning, a creative hub and a safe and welcoming space for anyone who enters.
Plans are being developed to significantly improve the facilities at Derby Theatre, making a better experience for you; our audiences, participants and communities. The redevelopment will include a brand-new Studio Theatre and a new and improved learning space as well as updates to our front of house areas and the fabric of our building, making us more welcoming, environmentally friendly and efficient.
Derby Theatre New Horizons is a £30 million multi-year project, and we are working hard to secure funding and investment to realise our ambitious plans. We need your help to make it happen. Every donation will make changes in our theatre spaces that will benefit all the local people who visit us and allow us to reach and welcome more people than ever before.
You can donate online today, or if you would like to know more about ways to support this ambitious redevelopment project, please contact Iain Hayes, Executive Director at NewHorizons@derbytheatre.co.uk.
Derby Theatre is thrilled to have been awarded a £10 million grant from the Department of Levelling Up to support this project, recognising the vision of Derby Theatre which places civic engagement and learning opportunities alongside high quality entertainment for residents. The project is also being generously supported by the University of Derby, but we still have a long way to go.
Sarah Brigham (CEO and Artistic Director, Derby Theatre) said:
“Derby Theatre New Horizons will allow us to secure the next 50 years of high-quality theatre in our city. We welcome nearly 100,000 people a year through our doors to see shows and over 25,000 to take part in workshops and learning activity, and we are committed to offering an even-better experience to our customers and encouraging more people to visit us for the first time. We’re delighted to have secured significant support already, and this funding will have a huge impact with the development of a new studio theatre and learning space, but we’re excited to see our plans for the rest of our much-loved building develop and become a reality”
/"Derby Theatre has quietly and doggedly rethought the role of how a regional theatre operates in its local community and how to make what it does really matter."Theatre critic Lyn Gardner
/“Few theatres are as sure of their civic purpose as Derby Theatre… it has signposted the way for others in creating a theatre that is genuinely connected, local and networked.”The Stage