National Theatre Nationwide has launched as a landmark £27 million partnership designed to give more than 100,000 young people across England access to live theatre, creative skills, and career pathways.
Backed by up to £15 million from the government’s Dormant Assets Scheme via the Every Child Can programme alongside National Theatre funding, the four-year initiative unites 12 leading regional venues across all nine English regions. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy unveiled the scheme alongside Co-Chief Executives Indhu Rubasingham and Kate Varah and stars including Imelda Staunton, Adrian Lester, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Bringing world-class productions and practical training directly into local communities, the partner network spans Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Birmingham Hippodrome, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Curve Leicester, Lowry Salford, Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Norwich Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, Southampton Mayflower, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and Theatre Royal Nottingham. Over the next four years, the programme will deliver annual main-stage National Theatre tours with original casts, 16,000 subsidised youth tickets, five schools tours reaching 45,000 pupils, and a roving Skills Roadshow alongside the Connections festival and New Views playwriting scheme.
Aimed at closing theatre skills shortages while breaking down financial and geographic barriers, the partnership puts young voices at its heart by creating a Nationwide Youth Council, ten regional Youth Manager posts, and a new co-created music theatre project for 14-to-18-year-olds. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stressed that experiencing live drama should never depend on what a family can afford or where a young person is born, noting the scheme brings the National Theatre directly to their doorsteps.
Sir Ian McKellen praised the investment as vital for the future of live theatre, welcoming the chance for young audiences outside London to make theatre-going a regular habit. National Theatre Co-Chief Executive Kate Varah added that collaborating with 12 regional theatres will spark imagination, build confidence, and create lasting career pathways across the country. Full details on upcoming tours and youth programmes can be found on the company’s official website.
