Local theatres support a new campaign led by Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre.
Theatre For Every Child is a new campaign that aims to makes sure every child has been to the theatre by the time they leave school.
The Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds said on their social media,
‘We’re seeing more than ever schools struggling to come to the theatre due to many contributing factors. Often, the cost of transport makes taking pupils out of their school settings nearly impossible, especially for schools in rural settings or those with special transport requirements. We are so pleased that many schools are still able to book with us and we hope to see those schools that no longer can, be supported so their pupils can see live performance in a theatre once again.’
Other theatres in the region who have signed up for this initiative are The Theatre Royal Norwich and the Mercury Theatre in Colchester.
UK Theatre said on their website ‘ In order to sustain our world-class reputation for theatre, we need to invest in our future audiences and workforce by ensuring every child has the chance to go to the theatre by the time they leave secondary school.’
They believe that school theatre trips should attract additional funding from the government so that all children have a chance to experience live theatre. They go on to say that access to theatre is unequal with those from low income families being most affected,
‘The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has also led to teachers and parents reporting a reduction in school trips of up to 68% compared to last year, which includes theatre visits.’
If you would like to know more about the project you can sign up to the mailing list, and UK Theatre are keen to hear from theatres, those in the theatre industry, schools and parents – you can find out more on their website UK Theatre.
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