Regional Theatres: Reflections on Resilience and Community Engagement

For the final webinar of our three-year pilot programme, Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities, we have invited four regional theatres who responded to our summer call-out about the role resilience or local community engagement plays in the development, operations and management of their theatre building.

This webinar will interest anyone who wishes to hear first-hand about regional theatres' management, different models and practices for local community engagement, or different forms of resilience and its impact. The talks will each offer a case study to provide insight into the leadership and management culture and approach of each theatre.

We will first hear from Alex Youngs, the Chief Executive of the Gorleston Pavilion Trust in Norfolk which took over the lease and operation of the 125-year-old Gorleston Pavilion Theatre. Alex will speak about the changes he has initiated following a review of all operational aspects of the venue to ensure the Pavilion’s resilience and survival in a seasonal, seaside economy.

Clare O’Hara and Vanessa Managhan from The Theatre in Chipping Norton will reveal what it is like to work in a theatre that is situated in an area of extreme affluence alongside pockets of disadvantage and increasing deprivation. They will speak about the community work they initiated in 2020, as part of their successful Take Part programme, to reach those who face multiple societal barriers. They will share how their needs-first, whole-family approach has yielded positive results for their theatre.

Neil Gwynne, Chair of the board and management committee for the Plaza Theatre in the small market town of Romsey in Hampshire, will talk about the organisational resilience behind the Plaza which is owned and managed by approximately 320 members of a Community Interest Organisation - the Romsey Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (RAODS). The theatre was created in 1983 by converting the 1931-built art deco Plaza Cinema and has gone from being within years of needing to be sold, to now running an annual programme of shows.

The final talk will be by Bill Hamblett, Artistic Director of award-winning near zero carbon Small World Theatre /Theatr Byd Bach in Cardigan, Wales. Bill will speak about his interpretation of resilience and what it means for him and his team, and the impact it has on the theatre’s creative, management and operational work.

This webinar is an opportunity for knowledge sharing across the sector. It will benefit anyone who wants to gain insight into unique experiences of regional UK theatres and will be hosted and chaired by Claire Appleby, Head of Theatre Buildings. 

The session will be recorded, so please register even if you can't attend the live event to receive a link to the recording.

The event is the final in a series we have been running since 2023 to offer introductory level talks on topics from governance and fundraising to sustainability and theatre operations. Previous webinars and accompanying slides can be viewed here. The webinar series is part of Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities, a three-year pilot programme launched in autumn 2022 and completing in spring 2026.

Speakers Biographies

Alex Youngs - Chief Executive, Gorleston Pavilion Trust, Norfolk, England
Since becoming Chief Executive in 2024, Alex has guided the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre through one of the most transformative periods in its history. Originally from Gorleston, Alex's association with the theatre stretches back nearly three decades, giving him a personal as well as professional connection to its future. Before moving into arts leadership, he built a career in software and business development. This now allows him to draw on technical insight and entrepreneurial experience to strengthen the theatre's resilience and relevance within its community. Alex focuses on balancing creativity with sustainability, and finding optimism in the messy, real-world side of running a regional theatre.

Vanessa Managhan - Take Part Director, The Theatre, Chipping Norton, England
Trained in Theatre Design from Birmingham City University, and with experience of working at the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Ballet, Vanessa has worked at The Theatre since 2009. She leads the Take Part department and has brought it back to being fully operational after the Covid pandemic. Vanessa oversees a vast programme of activities with community groups which include 11 youth theatre groups, three musical theatre groups, three disability / neurodiverse drama groups, two early years groups and three writing groups, amongst others for young people and adults. She also directs a substantial holiday programme, theatre skills workshops for schools, reminiscence sessions in local care homes and oversees the community programme.

Clare O’Hara – Mental Health & Community Projects Manager, The Theatre, Chipping Norton, England
Clare launched The Theatre’s community programme of targeted support in 2020 and has overseen this work including leading on its fundraising. This work is now a significant and thriving arm of The Theatre’s Take Part programme. It includes a free school meal programme, a significant year-round bursary scheme, community tickets, and targeted projects with schools, care homes and community groups focusing on mental health. Prior to moving into community work, Clare was a play reader and dramaturg, reading plays for several theatres including National Theatre and the Bush. Having studied at Cambridge and RADA, she has experience of working at theatres including Cambridge Junction, Royal Court and the Young Vic.

Neil Gwynne - Chair of board and management committee, Plaza Theatre, Romsey, England
Neil is an experienced and passionate advocate for the Plaza Theatre in Romsey, Hampshire, with extensive experience as a trustee and a chair for both the board of trustees and the Plaza’s management committee. His career was spent leading organisational change in large financial services organisations but he joined the world of amateur theatre in 1998 and this led to a MA in Acting from the Arts Ed drama school, and Equity membership. Since retirement, he has become a member of Romsey’s Town Council and a Borough Councillor for Test Valley.

Bill Hamblett – Artistic Director, Small World Theatre | Theatr Byd Bach, Cardigan, Wales
Bill is one of the founding members of Small World Theatre / Theatr Byd Bach which was formed in 1997 and is an award winning near zero carbon theatre, built in 2008. As Artistic Director, Bill develops new works in drama, performance, puppetry and site-specific work and has recently delivered commissions for sculpture trails in three Welsh towns. Working with Ann Shrosbree, they established Dandelion Puppets in 1979 and have since been making theatre on environmental themes. This has included development work in Africa, Asia and the Middle East which has led to positive behavioural change in communities as well as influencing policy change.