Our case for support
Who are we? What do we do?
Novo Theatre makes bold, remarkable theatre. We tell original stories in unusual places and spaces. Working alongside some of the most exciting theatremakers in our region, we create work that is unique and unexpected. Our work is ambitious, inventive and tells the stories of where we are now and where we have been.
We're rooted in Northumberland and the North East. Our narratives, our methods, our commitment—they all reflect this region. We co-create with local communities, embedding their voices and ideas into every production. The North East doesn't just inspire our work; it shapes it.
We invest in the talent of our region. We inspire young people to discover careers in the arts and actively build a thriving network of freelancers across the North East. Theatre thrives when there's genuine opportunity and support for those who make it.
We're guided by four values: Joyful | Ethical | Welcoming | Brave
Our history: Founded in 1990, we've evolved from European Players to a registered charity (1993) to November Club (2010) to Novo Theatre (2025). Each iteration has sharpened our focus on making theatre that matters.
Our impact: What we've achieved (2021–2025)
Northumberland stories are now being told theatrically. We created 10 new narratives rooted in local culture performed to 6,638 live and digital audiences — work that wouldn't exist without our commitment to Northumberland and the wider North East. Communities see themselves reflected in high-quality, ambitious theatre.
People are actively shaping the art they experience. We've delivered 55 community engagement events with 645 participants, and engaged 85 volunteers who help bring our work to life. Co-creation isn't tokenistic—it's how we build programmes that matter to the people who experience them.
We're creating sustainable work across Northumberland and the North East. We employed 124 freelance workers, injecting income and opportunity into a precarious sector. Each freelancer we support strengthens the cultural infrastructure of our region.
Young people are discovering arts careers as viable and achievable. Since 2023, we've delivered 18 careers assemblies and 50 careers workshops to 3,182 pupils across 10 Northumberland schools, plus work-experience opportunities to three young people. By being here we shatter the myth that creative careers are only possible in London.
As one student put it: "Being here has increased my confidence that it is possible to create a career for myself within the creative industry." A Head of Careers reflected: "Being a company situated very close to school has helped to break down barriers that students may have had about careers in this sector being mainly found in large cities." Proximity changes possibility.
Why this matters: The case for investment
The North-East has a severe arts deficit. Only 4% of English theatre organisations operate in the North-East, leaving Northumberland residents—particularly in rural areas—with limited access to the arts.
Deprivation compounds the problem. Many Northumberland wards fall below the UK median income, and research confirms that lower socio-economic groups engage least with the arts.
Community-led culture works. People from lower socio-economic groups value cultural offerings rooted in local interests and identity. A key driver for Novo Theatre is to create opportunities in local communities based on issues that matter to participants—this is core to our approach.
Freelancers are struggling. Arts workers face precarious conditions, with only 13% feeling secure in their jobs. Our 2023 research found that 75% of North East theatre freelancers lack sufficient career development opportunities. As one put it: "Training is too expensive and based far away from the North East." We strengthen the sector by employing cultural freelancers to deliver significant portions of our productions and participatory work, and we created the Novo Talent programme to directly address career development gaps.
Young people are missing their vital first chance to see how their skills and interests could lead to careers in theatre. Nationally, drama teachers have declined by 21% since 2011, while drama qualifications among 16-18 year olds are falling—including a 48% reduction in A-level students. Our Novo Talent work with schools and colleges introduces young people to the breadth of opportunities available in the industry.
We're addressing this challenge. By employing local cultural freelancers and creating community-focused work, we strengthen both arts access and the sector itself.
Why the arts matter: The evidence
Community Belonging and Identity
A strong and vibrant arts and cultural offer creates opportunities for communities to come together. Engaging in local arts strengthens people's attachment to place and fosters a sense of collective identity—spaces where people interact and share experiences that bind them together. This matters everywhere, but especially in places like Northumberland where cultural provision is limited.
Individual Wellbeing and Personal Growth
Participation in the arts is a powerful route for personal growth. It builds enhanced confidence, develops new skills, and creates educational opportunities that improve people's social contacts and employability. For older people in particular, engagement in participatory art improves wellbeing and mediates against the negative effects of ageing. Across all ages, arts participation contributes to better mental health and emotional resilience.
Social Cohesion and Local Capacity
The arts don't just benefit individuals—they strengthen entire communities. Through participation, people develop networks and understanding, building local capacity for organisation and self-determination. When communities engage with arts rooted in their own stories and identities, they gain agency and ownership over the cultural narratives that shape them.
Why It Matters in Northumberland
In communities with limited economic resources, engagement with arts and culture can create social capital that exerts a strong, positive effect on wellbeing. This matters particularly in places like Northumberland, where deprivation can limit opportunity. Arts participation becomes a field-levelling mechanism—opening pathways that might otherwise feel inaccessible, especially for young people in under-resourced areas.
The bottom line: The arts aren't a luxury. They're essential infrastructure for community wellbeing, individual development, and social cohesion—especially in places where these resources are scarce.
Why we're uniquely qualified to tackle this
We're recognised at the highest level. Arts Council England has supported Novo Theatre as part of its National Portfolio since 2012—a mark of quality and impact. We're one of only eight organisations in Northumberland with this status, and the only non-venue-based company in the region focusing on creating theatre in non-traditional spaces.
This recognition matters because it means we're not just making theatre—we're making theatre where people actually are. We reach communities that traditional venues can't, in the places they live and gather.
Our track record proves it. We've won multiple North East awards for our work, including The British Theatre Guide's recognition of our world premiere Repeat Signal (written by Olivier Award nominee Tatty Hennessy) as the region's 'Best Streamed Drama of 2021'. In 2017/2018 we won the National Rural Touring Award for Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year with Highlights Rural Touring. These aren't just local accolades—they're national recognition of our approach and impact.
We know this territory. We've been operating in Northumberland and the North East for over 30 years. We understand the communities we serve, the barriers they face, and what bold, locally-rooted theatre can achieve.
What we want to do: Our vision for the next phase
Create exceptional theatre that reaches everyone. Each year, we'll make remarkable work in unusual places—theatre that's bold, inventive, and rooted in Northumberland's stories. We won't build audiences; we'll go to them.
Put communities at the heart of creation. Through genuine co-creation, we'll research and develop work that reflects the people we serve. Local voices will shape more of what we make. We'll continue to ensure that participation is meaningful and that everyone's contribution is visibly valued, regardless of background or experience.
Build a thriving creative ecosystem. We'll keep nurturing local talent while bringing internationally renowned artists to Northumberland. By creating sustained work for professional freelancers and opportunities for community members — whether as audience, volunteer performers, or volunteers — we strengthen the entire sector. Theatre becomes not just what we make, but a pathway for everyone.
Prove that arts access isn't about location. We'll demonstrate that exceptional, ambitious theatre doesn't require a journey to the city. Northumberland residents will have genuine choice, genuine opportunity, and genuine investment in the cultural life of their region.
Your support can make this happen
Novo Theatre needs around £230k annually to create exceptional work, sustain our freelance network, and reach communities across Northumberland. Arts Council England funding covers just over half of this cost.
We're asking you to help us close the gap: £100k per year.
This investment directly funds:
Commissioning and producing bold, original theatre
Paying professional freelancers fairly and consistently
Co-creating with communities to ensure their voices shape our work
Reaching people in rural and underserved areas where arts access is limited
Building pathways for young people into sustainable arts careers
Without this support, we cannot deliver the ambitious work we have planned. With it, we transform cultural opportunity across Northumberland.
How you can help
Charitable Funders & Statutory Bodies
Support our funding applications and provide the long-term investment we need to work with local communities, turning artistic ideas into quality productions that showcase the creativity and skills of the North East.
Individuals
Experience our work: come to a show and consider paying more for your ticket than we ask
Bring friends and share your enthusiasm
Make a one-off donation if you've enjoyed what we do
Become a regular donor and sustain our work year-round
Find out more about how to support our work and donate via our website.
Businesses
Donate to support our productions
Sponsor a show or participatory programme
Provide rehearsal space, props, equipment, or free printing of our publicity
You can get in touch via the form on the Businesses page of our website.
Everyone
Visit us and see how your support makes an impact
Sign up to our e-newsletter at the bottom of this page to stay connected
Follow us on social media, engage with our work, and help amplify our message
Explore our website and share your thoughts
The case studies below demonstrate how our work has delivered against our four priorities
Case Studies
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Creating exceptional and remarkable theatre in unusual places.
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We celebrate storytelling and creativity
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We enrich the cultural workforce by developing the skills of volunteers and professionals
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We offer employment opportunities to cultural freelancers
