Belgrade Theatre
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersCoventry, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Belgrade Theatre firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Belgrade Theatre industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Belgrade Theatre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coventry
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Belgrade Theatre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- Subscription Packages: My Belgrade Subscription packages offering 15% discount for 3-4 shows or 25% discount for 5+ shows booked in same transaction.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Membership Programme: Annual membership starting from £35 providing 5% additional discount on subscription packages plus other benefits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual show tickets starting from £20 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | My Belgrade Subscription - 3-4 shows |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | My Belgrade Subscription - 5+ shows |
| Subscription | Annual | Belgrade Membership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group bookings (6-10 people) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Belgrade Theatre product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Belgrade Theatre
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Belgrade Theatre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Belgrade Theatre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Rifco Theatre CompanyflagshipCo-production partnership bringing productions like Surinderella to the Belgrade. Rifco is a leading UK Asian theatre company creating larger-than-life entertainment.
- Paines PloughcorePaines Plough, the UK's flagship theatre company, has found a new home at Coventry's Belgrade Theatre for their writers' programme.
- ComplicitéflagshipCo-producing partner for world premiere productions, leveraging Belgrade's position in the theatre ecology.
- China PlatecoreStrategic partnership announced as 'Belgrade teams up with China Plate' for collaborative productions.
- TalawacorePartnership as part of Talawa's Black Joy Season, presenting Play On! production.
- MaokwocoreSpringboard company receiving talent development support from Belgrade. Black-led theatre company seeking new director and trustees.
- Underground Lights Community TheatrecoreSpringboard company specialising in community theatre with focus on mental health and social prescribing.
- Ascension Dance CompanycoreFirst Supported Company receiving talent development, Coventry-based contemporary dance company.
- Coventry & Rugby GP AlliancecoreSocial prescribing partnership bringing people to theatre as part of health and wellbeing interventions.
- Coventry Refugee and Migrant CentrecorePartnership for Theatre of Sanctuary work supporting refugees and migrants through creative programmes.
- Warwickshire Wildlife TrustminorEnvironmental partnership connected to Like There's No Tomorrow climate-conscious production.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Belgrade Theatre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Belgrade Theatre social profiles
Digital presenceBelgrade Theatre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Belgrade Theatre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Belgrade Theatre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Belgrade Theatre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Belgrade Theatre
What does Belgrade Theatre do?
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.
Is Belgrade Theatre a public or private company?
Belgrade Theatre is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Belgrade Theatre founded?
Belgrade Theatre was founded in 1958. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Belgrade Theatre based?
Belgrade Theatre is headquartered in Coventry, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Belgrade Theatre make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription Packages, venue Hire, scenery and Production Services, donations and Charitable Support and membership Programme.
Who are Belgrade Theatre's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Leeds Playhouse, Curve Theatre Leicester, Nottingham Playhouse, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Sheffield Theatres, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre and The Old Rep, Birmingham. Royal Shakespeare Company is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Belgrade Theatre have an API?
No public API is recorded for Belgrade Theatre.
What industry is Belgrade Theatre in?
Belgrade Theatre's product category is Live Theatre & Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 711110 and its SIC code is 7900.