Arts Council England recently published new research revealing a complex interdependence between theatre operators in the public and private sectors.

‘The Interdependence of Public and Private Finance in British Theatre’ was commissioned by Arts Council England in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome and the Theatre Development Trust and authored by Dr Stephen Hetherington, Honorary Fellow at the University of Exeter and Chairman of HQ Theatres Trust.

You can read the full report here

Key headlines include:

  • Theatre subsidies in Britain, although only a small proportion of the finance employed, are shown to play an essential and critical part in the whole industry, supporting a national infrastructure and £2.27 billion of private sector activity.
  • The report shows the motivations of both commercial and subsidised theatre producers to be very similar, both with a primary concern for the quality of work combined with the need to maximise earned income.
  • Research shows a complex interdependence between theatre operators in the public and private sectors with each relying upon the other for the fulfilment of objectives.