Theatres Trust
Theatres Trust is the UK's national advisory public body for theatres, providing free expert advice, statutory planning consultation, grant programmes, and advocacy to support theatre buildings and operators across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Theatres Trust does
Theatres Trust is the UK's national advisory public body for theatres, established in 1976 and operating as a registered charity (number 274697) under the legal name The Theatres Trust Charitable Fund. Headquartered in London with approximately 11 staff, it provides free expert advice, statutory planning consultation, grant funding, and advocacy to support theatre buildings and their operators across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Core services include the annual Theatres at Risk Register, advisory reviews on capital redevelopments, and structured grant programmes — notably the Small Grants Programme (up to £7,500), the Theatre Improvement Scheme (up to £20,000, partnered with the Wolfson Foundation), Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities (up to £20,000 for at-risk theatres), and the Accessible Theatres Scheme. The Trust also operates the Great British Theatres Awards, publishes Theatres Magazine and NewsDigest, and is preparing a Fifty@50 programme to mark its 2026 anniversary. Leadership transitioned in November 2024, with Joshua McTaggart appointed CEO succeeding Jon Morgan.
The Trust does not sell products or services; outputs are charitable. Its revenue is generated through four streams: (1) charitable donations and fundraising via Patron, Corporate Supporter, and Friend schemes; (2) rental income from three freehold West End theatres — the Lyric, Garrick, and Lyceum — acquired from the London Residuary Board between 1986 and 1989 and leased to commercial operators; (3) trading activity used to maintain operations; and (4) a small grant from Historic England supporting statutory planning work. Grant programmes rely on restricted donations from a diversified base of foundations and trusts including the Wolfson Foundation, Linbury Trust, Mackintosh Foundation, Pilgrim Trust, Swire Charitable Trust, Theatre Development Trust, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Decision-making is governed independently from fundraising by a board of Trustees under the Trust's overall mission.
Theatres Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Theatres Trust
- Legal name
- The Theatres Trust Charitable Fund
- Website
- https://theatrestrust.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Theatres Trust is the UK's national advisory public body for theatres, providing free expert advice, statutory planning consultation, grant programmes, and advocacy to support theatre buildings and operators across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Theatres Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts & Cultural Heritage Advisory
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)
Keywords
Where Theatres Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Theatres Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable donations and fundraising: Theatres Trust raises funds through Patron, Corporate Supporter, and Friend schemes. Donations towards grant-giving programmes are restricted and distributed to theatres for improvements or repairs.
- Theatre property leases: Between 1986 and 1989, Theatres Trust acquired the freeholds of the Lyric, Garrick and Lyceum theatres from the London Residuary Board. The Trust leases these theatres to commercial operators and the income supports the core work of the Trust.
- Trading activity: The Trust generates income through trading activities to maintain organizational activity and offer grant funding to theatres.
- Historic England grant: Theatres Trust receives a small grant from Historic England for statutory planning work.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Theatres Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Theatres Trust is the national advisory public body for theatres in the UK, providing free expert advice on theatre buildings (operational and at risk), statutory planning consultation responses, and grant funding through programmes such as the Small Grants Programme and Theatre Improvement Scheme. It also operates the annual Theatres at Risk Register, maintains a Library & Archive, runs the Great British Theatres Awards, and generates income through freeholds of three West End theatres (Lyric, Garrick, Lyceum).
Product overview
Theatres Trust is the national advisory public body for theatres in the UK, operating as a charity (registered number 274697) that does not receive regular public funding. Rather than offering a single software product, the Trust provides a portfolio of advisory, grant-giving, and advocacy services organized around protecting and supporting UK theatres. Core offerings include advisory services covering theatre buildings (operational and at risk), the annual Theatres at Risk Register, and several grant programmes including the Small Grants Programme (up to £7,500), Theatre Improvement Scheme (up to £20,000 in partnership with Wolfson Foundation), and Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities (up to £20,000 for Theatres at Risk). Additional services include planning responses, library and archive resources, the Great British Theatres Awards, and the Fifty@50 anniversary programme.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Advisory Services
- Theatres at Risk Register
- Theatre Improvement Scheme
- Small Grants Programme
- Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities Grant Programme
- Accessible Theatres Scheme
- Planning Responses
- Library & Archive
- Great British Theatres Awards
- Urgent Repairs Scheme
Quantifiable outcome
- 66 theatre projects supported with £1.09m+ through Theatre Improvement Scheme
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Theatres Trust
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Theatres Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Theatres Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and corporate supporter.
- Delfont Mackintosh TheatresmajorDelfont Mackintosh Theatres Ltd (owned by Sir Cameron Mackintosh) owns and operates eight prestigious West End theatres and is a Corporate Supporter of Theatres Trust.
- Arupcorporate supporterArup is the specialist designer of performing arts buildings and a Corporate Supporter of Theatres Trust.
- Capital Theatrescorporate supporterCapital Theatres stages over 700 performances annually at Festival Theatre, King's Theatre and The Studio in Edinburgh and is a Corporate Supporter.
- Chichester Festival Theatrecorporate supporterOne of the UK's flagship producing theatres, situated between the South Downs and sea, is a Corporate Supporter of Theatres Trust.
- Everyman Theatre, Cheltenhamcorporate supporterThe earliest surviving Frank Matcham theatre (originally the Opera House), now a fully restored 670-seat venue, is a Corporate Supporter.
- The Royal Central School of Speech and Dramacorporate supporterHigher education conservatoire with the largest grouping of drama/theatre/performance specialists in the UK is a Corporate Supporter.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Theatres Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Historic England: The UK Government's statutory adviser on historic environment and planning. Directly relevant as it shares statutory planning consultation powers over heritage assets and provides a small grant to Theatres Trust for its theatre-planning casework.
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund: Distributes National Lottery grants for heritage projects across the UK, including support to Theatres Trust's Resilient Theatres programme. Comparable as a major funder of heritage theatres and a co-funder of the Trust's grant programmes.
- British Film Institute: UK lead body for film, with statutory remit, Lottery funding distribution, and a heritage/archive function. Comparable as a national cultural public body combining grant-giving, strategic advocacy, and education activities for a creative sector.
- Heritage Alliance: Coalition of heritage organisations advocating for policy support and funding across the UK heritage sector. Comparable as an advocacy-led umbrella body whose mission overlaps with Theatres Trust's role protecting theatre buildings.
- UK Theatre (formerly TMA): Membership body representing UK theatre producers, touring operators, and venue managers. Comparable as a sector support and advocacy organisation with overlapping theatre-industry stakeholder base, although focused on commercial/producing interests rather than buildings.
- Arts Council England: UK statutory public body that distributes public funding and provides development support to artists and arts organisations. Highly comparable as a national advisory and grant-giving arm for the arts, operating across all English regions with similar objectives to protect and develop cultural infrastructure.
- Society of London Theatre: Trade association for London theatres, including major West End operators such as Delfont Mackintosh. Highly comparable as the West End's principal industry body, co-funder of grant programmes through Theatre Development Trust, and partner of Theatres Trust.
- Churches Conservation Trust: Charity caring for historic church buildings no longer used for regular worship. Operates a portfolio of heritage buildings analogous to Theatres Trust's freehold theatres, providing grant-funded repairs and public access.
Broad incumbents
- English Heritage: Self-funded public body caring for over 400 historic sites across England. Analogous in operating a heritage-asset portfolio, providing public access to historic buildings, and advocating for built heritage preservation.
- National Trust: The UK's largest conservation charity, holding significant heritage property and exercising statutory consultation on planning affecting its assets. Highly analogous in operating model: charity status, freehold heritage property holdings, statutory advisory role, and member/donor-driven funding.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Theatres Trust social profiles
Digital presenceTheatres Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Theatres Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Theatres Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Theatres Trust 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 Theatres Trust
What does Theatres Trust do?
Theatres Trust is the national advisory public body for theatres in the UK, providing free expert advice on theatre buildings (operational and at risk), statutory planning consultation responses, and grant funding through programmes such as the Small Grants Programme and Theatre Improvement Scheme. It also operates the annual Theatres at Risk Register, maintains a Library & Archive, runs the Great British Theatres Awards, and generates income through freeholds of three West End theatres (Lyric, Garrick, Lyceum).
Is Theatres Trust a public or private company?
Theatres Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Theatres Trust founded?
Theatres Trust was founded in 1976. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Theatres Trust based?
Theatres Trust is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Theatres Trust make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Charitable donations and fundraising is the primary driver. The others are theatre property leases, trading activity and historic England grant.
Who are Theatres Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Historic England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, British Film Institute, Heritage Alliance, UK Theatre (formerly TMA), Arts Council England, Society of London Theatre and Churches Conservation Trust. Broad incumbents are English Heritage and National Trust.
Does Theatres Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Theatres Trust.
What industry is Theatres Trust in?
Theatres Trust's product category is Arts & Cultural Heritage Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7990.