Royal & Derngate shortlisted for UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award

For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The other two finalists for the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award, alongside Royal & Derngate, are Birmingham Rep and the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Liverpool.

UK Theatre member venues were invited to apply for the coveted award, and the three finalists were selected based on how welcoming the venues are across multiple factors, from accessibility and inclusion practices, to programming, outreach, workforce and audience development.

The judging panel will now visit the venues in person to determine the overall winner. Visits often involve meeting staff, having a tour of the building, taking part in a scheduled activity, speaking to audience members or visiting the onsite café or restaurant.

Royal & Derngate Chief Executive Jo Gordon commented: “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award. It’s been a challenging few years for Royal & Derngate, particularly with the discovery of RAAC concrete in our foyer spaces in 2023, but we are so proud of the resilience of the organisation which meant that, after just a brief closure, we were able to reopen – adapting to the restrictions and reimagining how the spaces could be made to work. It’s so important to us that we’ve consistently been able to maintain a warm, welcoming and safe experience for audiences, and in particular for our access customers.”

The theatre’s Artistic Director Jesse Jones added: “We’re pleased to have still been able to prioritise initiatives such as dedicated access hosts, sensory bags and a sensory pod, our Step Up work experience programme and our guide dog socialisation scheme. We’ve also introduced innovative new uses for our wider foyer spaces now they are fully reopened, including vintage clothes sales, video gaming experiences and art exhibitions. We are at the heart of the local community, so we are truly thrilled to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award in the wider theatre world.”

As part of the annual UK Theatre Awards event, awards are given for work on stage and off stage, including the coveted UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award and the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre accolade, which is awarded by the UK Theatre Board.