Belgrade Theatre

What Belgrade Theatre does

Belgrade Theatre is a registered charity (number 219163) operating a single-site live performance venue in Coventry, United Kingdom, founded in 1958. The organisation operates a main auditorium (B1) with 858 seats plus four secondary spaces (B2 at 245, Patrick Suite at 100, Screen Room at 60, Weston Learning Space at 50, and No.71 at 30), delivering a mixed programme of pantomime, drama, musicals, comedy, dance, and family productions. The core technology stack is live theatrical production supplemented by digital content capabilities, including the SeaView digital TV series streamed on Amazon Prime and online streaming of productions, supported by an e-commerce ticketing platform and CRM-driven email marketing.

The organisation generates revenue across six identifiable streams: individual ticket sales (pay-as-you-go from £20 per ticket), My Belgrade Subscription packages (15% discount for 3-4 shows, 25% for 5+ shows), venue hire to corporate and private clients, B2B scenery and production services (Belgrade Theatre Scenery) to theatre/TV/film/event industries, donations and grants (including Arts Council England NPO core funding and a £999,999 Cultural Recovery Fund grant in 2020), and an annual membership programme from £35. Customer segments span general public and families (primary), schools and young people, corporate and event organisers, and community/vulnerable populations including refugees and migrants (Theatre of Sanctuary reaccredited).

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer through the website, box office, and a dedicated group bookings team, complemented by community partnerships (Springboard talent development scheme, social prescribing with Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance), email marketing, and earned media. The business model is hybrid charity/commercial: ticket sales and venue hire subsidise a broader social mission of cultural access, education (including the pioneering Theatre-in-Education programme dating to the 1960s), and community engagement, with NPO status providing a funding backbone. Headcount is reported at 51-100 employees, and the organisation has been led by Artistic Director Hamish Glen and Executive Director Joanna Reid since 2003, with a 2022 restructure introducing new CEO and Creative Director roles under Corey Campbell.

Name

Belgrade Theatre

Legal name

Belgrade Theatre

Website

https://belgrade.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Belgrade Theatre is a registered charity (219163) operating an 858-seat regional theatre in Coventry, UK, founded in 1958. It delivers live performances, venue hire, B2B scenery services, education programmes, and community engagement, funded through ticket sales, subscriptions, and Arts Council England NPO support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre & Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live theatre performances
• Venue hire services
• Theatre-in-education programs
• Community arts engagement
• Scenery manufacturing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Coventry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual performance tickets sold directly to consumers through box office and online booking system. Prices start from £20 per ticket with various price bands.
2. Subscription Packages: My Belgrade Subscription packages offering 15% discount for 3-4 shows or 25% discount for 5+ shows booked in same transaction.
3. Venue Hire: Multiple spaces available for hire including B1 (up to 858 people), B2 (245 people), No.71 (30 people), Patrick Suite (100 people), Screen Room (60 people), and Weston Learning Space (50 people). Used for conferences, weddings, workshops, and events.
4. Scenery and Production Services: Belgrade Theatre Scenery provides set construction and scenic art services to theatre, television, film, event and exhibition industries. Includes CAD/CNC services, carpentry, joinery, metal fabrication, and scenic painting.
5. Donations and Charitable Support: Registered charity (219163) accepting donations, corporate support, and membership contributions. Supported by Arts Council England as NPO, Garfield Weston Foundation, and other grant-making bodies.
6. Membership Programme: Annual membership starting from £35 providing 5% additional discount on subscription packages plus other benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Belgrade Theatre operates a live performance venue in Coventry, hosting in-house productions, co-productions and touring shows including annual pantomimes, musicals, drama and family entertainment. Beyond the main stage, the charity rents out multiple auditorium and meeting spaces (B1, B2, No.71, Patrick Suite, Screen Room, Weston Learning Space) for corporate and private events, runs an in-house scenery and scenic art construction service for external theatre, TV, film and event clients, and delivers educational and community participation programmes including Theatre-in-Education, Take Part, Media Academy and Springboard talent development.

Product overview

Belgrade Theatre is a single-venue theatre offering live performances and related services. The core offering includes the main stage venue hosting productions and the venue hire service renting theatre spaces (B1, B2, No.71, Patrick Suite, Screen Room, Weston Learning Space). Related services include Belgrade Theatre Scenery (costume and scenery manufacturing), My Belgrade Subscription (ticket subscription packages), Membership program, and community engagement through Take Part programs, Media Academy (digital media training), and Springboard (talent development). Annual pantomime productions and Theatre-in-Education programs form key programming elements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Belgrade Theatre Main Venue (Live Performances) The 858-seat main stage venue hosts live performances including in-house productions, co-productions, touring shows, pantomimes, musicals, drama, comedy and dance for general public and family audiences.
• Venue Hire

Quantifiable outcome

• Theatre of Sanctuary Award reaccredited
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Rifco Theatre CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership bringing productions like Surinderella to the Belgrade. Rifco is a leading UK Asian theatre company creating larger-than-life entertainment.
• Paines PloughcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaines Plough, the UK's flagship theatre company, has found a new home at Coventry's Belgrade Theatre for their writers' programme.
• ComplicitéflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producing partner for world premiere productions, leveraging Belgrade's position in the theatre ecology.
• China PlatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership announced as 'Belgrade teams up with China Plate' for collaborative productions.
• TalawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership as part of Talawa's Black Joy Season, presenting Play On! production.
• MaokwocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpringboard company receiving talent development support from Belgrade. Black-led theatre company seeking new director and trustees.
• Underground Lights Community TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpringboard company specialising in community theatre with focus on mental health and social prescribing.
• Ascension Dance CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Supported Company receiving talent development, Coventry-based contemporary dance company.
• Coventry & Rugby GP AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial prescribing partnership bringing people to theatre as part of health and wellbeing interventions.
• Coventry Refugee and Migrant CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Theatre of Sanctuary work supporting refugees and migrants through creative programmes.
• Warwickshire Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership connected to Like There's No Tomorrow climate-conscious production.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse: Dual-venue regional producing theatre with a strong community and education footprint, comparable producing output and similar Arts Council funding profile to Belgrade.
• Leeds Playhouse: NPO-funded regional theatre producing original and touring work with strong education and community programmes. Comparable in size, producing model and reliance on Arts Council NPO funding.
• Curve Theatre Leicester: Mid-sized regional producing theatre in the East Midlands with in-house productions, learning programmes and multi-space venue hire. Similar scale, programming mix and NPO funding profile to Belgrade.
• Nottingham Playhouse: Mid-sized regional producing theatre with in-house productions, subscription schemes, learning programmes and venue-hire operations. Closely comparable to Belgrade on scale, producing model and East Midlands audience profile.
• Tobacco Factory Theatres: Independent producing and receiving theatre in Bristol with in-house productions, education and venue-hire offer. Closely comparable on producing model, scale and mixed revenue approach.
• Sheffield Theatres: Operator of the Crucible, Lyceum and Studio theatres with in-house productions and a major pantomime tradition. Shares Belgrade's mixed producing/receiving model, family programming and NPO funding structure.
• Birmingham Repertory Theatre: Long-established regional producing theatre based in Birmingham, sharing the same West Midlands catchment as Belgrade. Operates a comparable mix of in-house productions, touring work, education programmes and community engagement, making it the closest functional peer.
• Warwick Arts Centre: Large multi-venue arts complex at the University of Warwick hosting theatre, music, comedy and film with venue hire and education programmes. Overlaps Belgrade in programming, scale and West Midlands audience base, though anchored to a university.
• The Old Rep, Birmingham: Historic Birmingham theatre presenting drama, pantomime, community and youth programmes. Similar scale and remit to Belgrade with emphasis on accessible family programming, community engagement and education.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Shakespeare Company: Major national producing theatre based in Stratford-upon-Avon producing Shakespeare, classical and contemporary work with extensive learning and touring programmes. Operates in the same regional ecosystem with overlapping education/community and co-production relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/belgradetheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/BelgradeTheatreCoventry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Belgrade Theatre