Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre

Application to manage the

Rother Street community arts venue in

Stratford-upon-Avon

Click here for more info

07554 429526

about the application

The vision

The application is being submitted by Giles Shenton and

due to be submitted by 1 May 2025.

Support from people living in the Stratford-upon-Avon area is vital.

I'd also like support from other industry professionals who believe in my goal and would be happy to back my vision publicly.

I'm also searching for individuals who would like to be patrons of the

charity that will be set up to run the venue.

To introduce myself, here is a bit of info about me from my

successful first round application to the Stratford Town Trust:

"This application is from Giles Shenton, the proprietor of GSP Theatre Productions. Giles is an innovator in touring small-scale theatre productions to local theatres, arts centres, and village halls. He has extensive knowledge of this market and currently has 27 different shows touring at over 150 venues across the UK. He has also worked extensively with various rural touring organisations throughout the country.

In addition to touring theatre, GSP represents artists in contract negotiations, programmes live performances for other venues, operates a design service for marketing products, and offers website creation and management services. Giles’ previous experience includes working in the West End in theatre production and backstage, programming and contracting productions for a 100-seat venue in Surrey, and holding managerial roles in private companies and the Civil Service."

Several local residents with the skills and knowledge to contribute at the outset have expressed their interest in the project and want to see the venue become a hub serving the community. These individuals include Helen Cave (Executive Administrator, Backstage Trust /previously Head of Stakeholder Events at RSC), Lawrence Prestige (theatre manager/actor/writer/drama teacher), Mark Carey (actor/writer), Simon Kemp (musician/composer), Cecillia Currey (set designer/costume maker/prop maker), Christopher Saul (actor/teacher/writer), Mel Harvey (magician - Member of The Inner Magic Circle/children’s entertainer/ puppeteer), Georgie Taylor (actor/schools in education/accessibility for performances & relaxed performances/drama educator working in schools, weekend clubs, LAMDA tutor and Safeguarding officer), Jack Richardson (TV & video producer/director), Iain Lauchlan (Theatre director/producer/actor/writer), Colin Lewis Edwards (Previous Director of the Riverside Shakespeare Company in New York/drama therapy teacher/Shakespeare trainer for the Department of Education/Theatre studies examiner and previous Director of ITV’s Children’s Television Workshop, winning a special BAFTA for its contribution to Children’s television), Rosie Pickering (children's author, drama workshop facilitator, and actress), Alsion Sutcliffe (Previous drama teacher at RADA, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, BSA and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School/Theatre director for RSC, rep., national tours, West End & Broadway and co-founder of The Bridge Theatre Company) and Abigail Rokison-Woodall (author and academic specialising in William Shakespeare & lecturer in Shakespeare and Theatre at the

Shakespeare Institute, Stratford upon Avon).

Local organisations have already shown their

support for this application. These include:

ILEAP – A charity for children, young people and adults with additional needs that delivers a user-led programme of leisure activities within the local community so that vulnerable people can access leisure

provision in a safe and supported way.

Avon Support – The company provides personalised support services for disabled adults to help them live more independently

and achieve their goals.

Rosie T Dance Academy – In addition to training, the academy offers a range of support for its students and the dance community. They provide scholarships for those struggling with fees, offer a custom uniform program in partnership with Dansez, and prepare their dancers for professional careers, including preparing them for

challenges they will face on their journey.

Holy Trinity Players - Trinity Players was founded at Holy Trinity Church Stratford-upon-Avon in 2007 to offer drama as part of worship as well as for entertainment. They have a vision for a church which those who love drama, music and the spoken word may see as their spiritual home.

Black Box Tuition - Black Box was founded in 2024 with the aim of building young people’s confidence through Vocal Tuition, Musical Theatre & Drama Clubs in Worcestershire, Warwickshire,

Gloucestershire and The Cotswolds.

Lifeways - Friendly, peaceful, supportive. Lifeways is a complementary natural health centre with an acre of community-run garden located in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon. They provide a safe, high quality environment for the practice of more than 30 complementary and traditional therapies and one-to-one counselling. In addition they run regular meditation, Pilates and Yoga classes as well as a range of weekend workshops and training courses.

Myton Hospice - Myton are leaders in compassionate end of life care; their work centres on patient wellbeing and involving them in decisions about their care. Perhaps most importantly, they give their patients

more quality time with their loved ones.

The venue on Rother Street has had several names over the years. It has recently experienced some success under the name Stratford Play House in engaging touring bands and comedians, and losing this would be a shame. Additionally, it will be much easier for promoters and members of the public to find online, as searches will undoubtedly include ‘Play House’ or ‘Playhouse’. Future plans involve building on this initiative and transforming it into the town's community arts hub.

To achieve this, I propose renaming the venue, the

Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre.

The new proposed logo for the theatre can be seen at the top of the page. The main image is of the building itself, reminding us of its heritage, prominent place, and history within the town. The ring of people holding hands signifies community, and the circular shape reinforces the idea that everything at the theatre is continuous – shows being created and performed, creative skills being learnt and used to create more shows, with the whole cycle restarting. The likeness to a ship's wheel links to the River Avon, with its constant flow

through the community. It also represents the notion that the

Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre

is helping steer the community along a continuous path.

The goal is to establish the Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre as a charity. This will allow the theatre to conduct activities to promote and advance the dramatic and other performing arts, including audience development, workforce training, and access initiatives,

while engaging in fundraising and community outreach.

Stratford-upon-Avon is known internationally as a town with a magnificent cultural history. The wealth of local talent should be utilised to create a safe space to assist those in need within the community and equip future generations with the tools to continue

this incredible artistic legacy.

The structure is straightforward:

1. Generate income from the commercial aspects of the venue.

2. Reinvest the income into community projects and training/workshops.

3. Engage local professionals to manage the theatre,

raise awareness, provide training, and run workshops.

4. Utilise both professional and non-professional participants to create new works and productions that tour locally and nationally for the Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre.

5. Reinvest income from touring productions back

into the charity to sustain the cycle.

Touring productions coming into the theatre, such as bands and comedians, are essential for covering expenses and also for subsidising community-based events. Historical trends with pantomimes and family shows indicate a strong market for family-oriented productions in the local area. We will place greater emphasis on scheduling these productions to boost revenue while also attracting young audiences

to the arts and encouraging participation in various

workshops and training sessions available at the

Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre.

Additionally, we will focus on programming a broader range of events based on a box office split model, making them more appealing to touring companies and enhancing the likelihood of

incorporating diverse artistic genres.

We also aim to produce small-scale theatre productions that will tour nationally as Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre productions, raising awareness of the theatre and its work beyond the local area.

This approach will also provide a platform for transforming new writing into live performances and provide work for local creatives.

Existing connections will be utilised to create a rural touring scheme, collaborating with local venues and village halls

to deliver entertainment to the wider Stratford area.

This initiative will bring live theatre and music to those

who cannot travel, thereby increasing awareness of the

Stratford Playhouse Community Theatre

in the surrounding region while promoting

all that the theatre has to offer.

The revenue from the more commercial activities and touring productions would be able to fund/subsidise the cost of various local individuals contracted to provide training/run workshops etc.

Such activities would include but not be limited to;

Drama workshops and training/Stage Management workshops/training/Puppetry workshops and training/Individual drama tuition/Drama and TV writing workshops/Set design/costume & prop making workshops/Theatre directing workshops/Musical workshops & lessons/TV/filming/video workshops/Specific individual tuition for performers preparing for auditions/Magic workshops and training/A space to develop and perform new theatre projects/Tech assistance for performers needing to submit self-tapes for auditions.

Those already expressing interest in the project can contribute all of the above, and additional opportunities will arise for others to collaborate with this initiative. The workshops and training will provide practical assistance in creating new shows that could tour locally or nationally, enabling local individuals to be part of the creative process in professional touring theatre and music. This will create an ongoing focus for participants, offering the opportunity to gain valuable experience in various skills. It will provide a platform for local artists

while promoting mental health through the

transformative power of theatre and the arts.

Regular events will be programmed to ensure the consistent use of all spaces and a steady flow of people into the theatre, creating

marketing opportunities for other events and promoting

all available opportunities at the venue.

These could include - ‘Open mic’ events for budding comedians, musicians, poets, and actors and cabaret evenings/Rehearsal space for local musicians/groups/bands/theatre groups/Provide a safe space for charities and groups such as Street Arts Project to meet regularly/Provide a permanent home for local amateur

theatre/musical theatre groups/Space for talks and events

provided by local organisations.

Please contact me if you have any questions or want more

information about the application.

Please contact me if you feel happy to endorse my application

or offer assistance in some way.

If you know anyone else who would be interested in supporting my vision, please direct them to this website.

I would also like to connect with anyone who may be interested in becoming a trustee of the charity.

If my application is successful, I will be seeking someone with bookkeeping or finance experience to join the theatre management team. Please pass on my details to anyone who may be interested.

Please also subscribe below if you would like to be kept up to date with the application or simply as a way of registering your

interest in the project.

Thank you for taking the time to read my vision for the vacant

Rother Street community arts venue.

Giles Shenton

GSP Theatre Productions

07554 429526