Theatre Space North East

What Theatre Space North East does

Theatre Space North East is a Sunderland-based non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC #10059355) and Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO charity #1198576) founded in August 2012 by Artistic Director Corinne Kilvington. The company delivers accessible theatre productions, creative education programmes, and venue/equipment hire services, operating from its 14a Borough Road, Sunniside headquarters (housing a 12x8m rehearsal space, costume store, and Scripts & Scores Library) and The Royality Theatre. Its core offering is site-responsive, non-traditional-venue theatre — Shakespeare adaptations, family shows, and community productions staged in parks, schools, pubs, and churchyards — produced in partnership with Play On Shakespeare for modern verse translations.

The business model is a hybrid of earned income and grant funding across five revenue streams: ticket sales (£3-£15 per seat via TicketSource and bookwhen, often on a donation or pay-what-you-can basis), education services (Wraparound Shakespeare workshops subsidised by Rank Foundation, Theatre in Education tours delivered free to all schools across six North East local authorities, craft and historical workshops, and a £350 A Midsummer Night's Dream Activity Kit), venue and equipment hire (rehearsal space, costumes, sets and props, Scripts & Scores Library), donations (tiered at £10/£20/£50), and institutional grants from Arts Council England, UKSPF, Levelling Up Fund, Rank Foundation, Sunderland City Council, Barbour Foundation, Barrow Cadbury Trust, and others.

The company serves a diversified customer base across four primary segments: schools (primary and secondary) requiring curriculum-aligned creative learning; young people aged 12-17 (Theatre Space Academy) and adults 18+ (MARRAS) seeking participatory theatre-making; families and the general public attending ticketed productions; and B2B clients including theatre groups and independent artists using hire services, plus secondary segments in health/social care (chronic pain awareness, young carers) and environmental theatre (Washed Away, Stronger Shores). The team is small — 5 core staff plus freelance practitioners — and operations are anchored in regional reach across the North East of England, with select fringe festival appearances extending UK footprint.

Name

Theatre Space North East

Legal name

Theatre Space CIC

Website

https://theatrespace.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Theatre Space North East is a Sunderland-based non-profit CIC and registered charity, founded in 2012, delivering accessible theatre productions, education programmes, and venue hire services to schools, families, and community groups across the North East of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Theatre Services

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Community theatre services
• Theatre education programs
• Creative workshops
• Rehearsal space hire
• Community engagement theatre

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunderland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to theatrical productions and performances. Pricing varies from free/donation-based to £5-£15 per show. Uses third-party ticketing platforms including TicketSource and bookwhen.
2. Education Services: Revenue from delivering education workshops including Wraparound Shakespeare (subsidised by Rank Foundation), craft workshops, and Theatre in Education tours. Schools pay for curriculum-aligned creative learning activities.
3. Venue and Equipment Hire: Hire services generating revenue from rehearsal space rental (12x8m space in Sunniside, Sunderland), costume store hire, sets and props hire, and Scripts & Scores Library access.
4. Donations: Voluntary donations from £10 to £50 offered on website to support the organisation's mission of making theatre accessible. Also receives grants from Arts Council England and other funders.
5. Workshop Packages and Activity Kits: Sale of educational resource kits such as the A Midsummer Night's Dream Activity Kit priced at £350, containing lesson plans, craft materials, scripts, and teacher guidance for delivering creative Shakespeare units.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Theatre Space North East delivers live theatrical productions (Shakespeare adaptations, family shows, community productions) performed in non-traditional venues such as parks, classrooms, pubs, and community spaces across the North East of England. The company also runs curriculum-aligned education programmes (Wraparound Shakespeare, Theatre in Education tours, Take Me Back To historical sessions) and offers hire services for rehearsal space, costumes, sets, props, and a Scripts & Scores Library. Operates as both a Community Interest Company (CIC #10059355) and a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO #1198576).

Product overview

Theatre Space North East is a community interest company offering a diverse portfolio of theatre productions, education programs, and venue hire services. Their core offering comprises live theatre performances (Shakespeare adaptations, family shows, community productions), supported by educational services (Wraparound Shakespeare workshops, Theatre in Education tours, historical workshops) and hire services (rehearsal space, costume store, sets and props, scripts library). The organization also runs community programs including Theatre Space Academy (youth theatre), MARRAS (adult community theatre), and various craft workshops. The company operates from Sunderland and serves schools, community groups, and theatre companies throughout the North East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Theatre Space Academy: A creative space for young performers aged 12-17, meeting at The Royalty Theatre in Sunderland every Thursday during term time. Sessions are free with a suggested donation of £3.
• MARRAS

Products and services

• Wraparound Shakespeare Subsidised Shakespeare workshops for schools across the North East, designed to engage pupils with Shakespeare's works at Key Stage 1-5, aligned with the English National Curriculum and exam preparation. Funding from Rank Foundation enables subsidised delivery.
• Take Me Back To... Hands-on historical sessions combining arts, crafts, drama activities, and performances exploring time periods such as Ancient Rome, Egypt, and Greece. Delivered to school groups and priced around class sizes of 30 learners.
• Introduce Me To... Interactive workshops featuring professional actors in role as historical or fictional characters, teaching young people through storytelling and facilitation.
• Craft Workshops Creative craft workshops covering watercolour painting, acrylic painting, air dry clay modelling, embroidery, lino cutting, needle felting, special effects makeup, wand making, and other hands-on creative activities.
• Theatre in Education Tours Free touring theatre productions for schools covering pedestrian safety topics (Why Queue?, Split Decisions) and Shakespeare content, fully self-sufficient performances requiring only a 4x5m staging area and power access. Tours across six North East local authority areas.
• Rehearsal Space Hire Flexible rehearsal room hire at Sunniside, Sunderland, featuring a 12x8m space with green room, heating, power access, and accessible toilet facilities. Available to theatre companies, amateur dramatics, and independent artists.
• Costume Store Hire Extensive costume collection for all periods, styles, and genres available for hire to schools, theatre companies, film projects, and special events.
• Set & Prop Hire Flexible sets and props available for hire, including modular pieces that can be adapted for different stage sizes and layouts.
• Scripts & Scores Library Repository for Sunderland's Scripts and Scores Library offering access to plays, musicals, classic works, and musical scores for performers, educators, and researchers.
• A Midsummer Night's Dream Activity Kit Complete 6-hour teaching unit on Shakespeare through craft, performance and creativity, including lesson plans, scripts, slides, craft materials, and guidance notes for KS1 and KS2. Priced at £350 per pack.
• Theatre Space Academy Youth theatre group for ages 12-17 meeting at The Royalty Theatre in Sunderland every Thursday during term time. Sessions are free with a suggested donation of £3.
• MARRAS Adult community theatre group for participants aged 18 and over, providing theatre-making opportunities for community members seeking creative expression and pathways into the creative industry.
• Stage Combat Intensive Weekender Practical unarmed combat workshops led by professional fight and movement directors, covering technique, safety protocols, and choreography. Priced at £40 single day, £70 for both days.
• Making Christmas Magic Festive craft workshop series including storytime with Mrs Claus, wreath making, gingerbread house making, lino printing, and felt decoration making for all ages.
• Theatre Productions Live theatre performances including Shakespeare adaptations (Twelfth Night, King Lear, Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, Romeo & Juliet), family shows (The Frog Prince), heritage and community celebration productions, and chronic pain awareness productions. Performed at multiple venues across the North East.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free Theatre in Education tours serving all schools in Sunderland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, and Northumberland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Play On ShakespearecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Ongoing partnership for modern verse translations of Shakespeare plays. TSNE productions use translations by Alison Carey (Twelfth Night), Marcus Gardley (King Lear), Amy Freed (Taming of the Shrew, Titus Andronicus), and Shishir Kurup (Julius Caesar) through this association with Play On Shakespeare.
• Stronger ShorescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Environmental charity partner for 'Stronger Shores' production - a free family theatre show for May Half Term 2026 exploring seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, kelp forests and coastal interventions. TSNE creating brand new production supported by the charity.
• University of SunderlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Sunniside Stories project, working with Theatre Space North East on community celebration of Sunderland's vibrant Sunniside district.
• Royal Holloway UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Sunniside Stories community theatre project, collaborating on exploration and celebration of Sunderland district.
• Flippin' PaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic health campaign collaborator on 'A Pain in the Arts' and 'The Uninvited Guest' productions exploring chronic pain experiences. Partnership includes research collaboration with Durham Pain Team and community development.
• Teesside UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating with Theatre Space North East and Flippin' Pain on 'The Uninvited Guest' production exploring persistent/chronic pain awareness.
• Connor Brown TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable trust partnered with TSNE for Summer 2023 Romeo & Juliet production, bringing local relevance and experience of knife crime to the story alongside community engagement.
• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioning partner for 'Washed Away' interactive eco-play highlighting flood risk and resilience, with first-hand accounts from flood-affected communities.
• National Museum of the Royal Navy HartlepoolmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner hosting 'Stronger Shores' free family theatre performance on 25th May 2026, with optional puppetry workshop following the show.
• City of Sunderland EventscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for 'Making Christmas Magic' festive craft workshops and events, with TSNE venue transformed into winter wonderland for community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Shakespeare Schools Festival: UK-wide charity bringing Shakespeare performances into schools, closely aligned with TSNE's Theatre in Education and Wraparound Shakespeare programmes targeting school audiences.
• Pilot Theatre: York-based touring theatre company producing work for young audiences with strong education programming. Comparable producing and touring model targeting schools and young people across the UK.
• Little Angel Theatre: London-based puppet and family theatre with strong education and community participation programmes. Comparable niche producing model with education revenue stream and accessible theatre ethos.
• Hull Truck Theatre: Regional producing theatre in the North of England with strong education, community, and participation programmes. Comparable scale and model as a regional theatre rooted in community engagement.
• Northern Stage: Major producing theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne serving the same North East region, producing classical, contemporary, and community-engaged theatre. Comparable producing model and regional audience.
• Live Theatre: Newcastle-based producing theatre with strong new-writing and community engagement focus. Operates in the same North East market with overlapping school and community programming.
• 1623 Theatre Company: Touring Shakespeare and classical theatre company based in the North of England. Closely comparable as Creative Producer Jamie Brown is a director of both organisations, and both focus on accessible Shakespeare production for regional audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Shakespeare Company: UK's leading classical theatre company producing Shakespeare at scale. Comparable as the national benchmark for Shakespeare education (which TSNE's Education Lead trained with at the RSC partnership programme) and a likely talent and content partner/competitor.
• National Theatre: UK's flagship producing theatre with extensive education and outreach programming (Connections Programme, where TSNE's Artistic Director worked). Comparable mission around accessible theatre and national education reach.

Regional players

• Open Air Theatre: Produces large-scale site-responsive Shakespeare in non-traditional outdoor venues. Comparable philosophy of bringing Shakespeare to non-traditional locations, though operates in London parks primarily.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theatrespacene

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 Theatre Space North East