Preparing for Capital Developments
A capital project is a major undertaking and usually takes many years of planning and detailed preparatory work. It is probably something your venue will only do once in a generation, so it is important to get it right and make the most of the opportunity.
We are hosting a pair of webinars for theatres that want to prepare for a capital project, whether you already have one planned or it is something you aspire to for the future.
With central government recently announcing that Arts Council England's Creative Foundations Fund will be extended for another four years for arts organisations in England, and Arts Council of Wales’ recent £8m Capital Investment Fund for 2025-26, it is clear that the sector’s needs are acutely evident across the UK, which the Theatres Trust is lobbying for ongoing support for. Hopefully a regular capital fund from Welsh Government is also implemented and similar funding will be announced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, enabling more theatres to be able to carry out much-needed capital development and refurbishment projects.
Theatr Clwyd has recently reopened following a multi-million-pound redevelopment project, which had the support of Flintshire County Council, Welsh Government and the Arts Council of Wales. Andrew Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at Theatr Clwyd, will talk about the journey the organisation went on in the pre-funding phase. He will talk about the significant milestones of the project, how the team managed uncertainty, the importance of defining a clear artistic and civic vision early on, and why this preparation phase was so essential.
Drawing on his extensive experience of theatre capital projects of all scales, Jack Tilbury, Director of multi-disciplinary consultancy Plann, will offer his top tips on what you need to consider and have in place when considering a capital redevelopment project.
Lynsey Rowe, Senior Officer – Capital Advice and Support at Arts Council England, will give an overview of what organisations need to do before making their application to give themselves the best chance of progressing. While Lynsey will draw on the experiences of running the first round of the Creative Foundations Fund, this advice will be useful in preparing applications to any major capital funder. Similarly, Andrew Richards, Head of Business Development at Arts Council of Wales will talk about Welsh Government’s arts capital funding commitment for 2026/27, the Council’s funding priorities and offer guidance to prospective applicants on how they can prepare for a capital project in the future, whether that is strengthening project governance, clarifying organisational goals or factoring in procurement timescales and processes.
Who is this webinar for?
Anyone involved in capital projects, including executive directors, chief operating officers, project managers and fundraisers, from theatres of any scale and at different stage of redevelopment programmes.
The webinar will be recorded, so you can catch up later via our YouTube channel. But we would encourage you to join the live session if you can for the chance to put your questions to our knowledgeable speakers.
You may also be interested in the first webinar in this series Capital Developments: Engaging Your Audience.
Speakers’ biographies
Andrew Roberts, Chief Operating Officer, Theatr Clwyd
Andrew joined Theatr Clwyd in 2016 and brings accountancy and audit experience into his role. He has acquired high level HR qualifications, overseen full company re-structures and delivered finance and HR transitions to new, fit for purpose systems. He has led on the business continuity plans and delivery of the redevelopment of Theatr Clwyd, including relocation to new offices and constructing temporary public and performance facilities. Andrew is a keen theatre maker with involvement in local youth theatre and amateur dramatic companies.
Jack Tilbury, Director, Plann
Following a twenty-year career as firstly a theatre Production Manager and then a Theatre Consultant, Jack founded Plann in 2011 specifically to help theatre clients run capital projects. Since then, Jack has led projects for The Old Vic, Theatr Clwyd, The National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Sadler’s Wells, The Yard Theatre, The Bush Theatre, London Theatre Company (Bridge Theatre), Punchdrunk, Birmingham Hippodrome, and Stephen Joseph Theatre. Jack is now recognised as a leading expert in the field of arts capital project management and provides strategic advice to a wide range of organisations, from pub theatres to national governments.
Lynsey Rowe, Senior Officer – Capital advice and support, Arts Council England
Lynsey brings over 25 years’ experience of funding and development in the not-for-profit sector to her role at Arts Council England where she supports the development and delivery of multimillion pound arts and cultural building projects across England. With previous roles at Amnesty International and the World Monuments Fund, she has expertise and understanding of arts and cultural organisations, public procurement and property law, as well as charitable philanthropy, fundraising, risk management, governance, finance and operations. Lynsey is also a trustee for Community Housing and Therapy, a UK charity that supports people experiencing mental distress in working through trauma, building supportive relationships, and exploring ways to live fulfilling lives.
Andrew Richards, Head of Business Development, Arts Council of Wales
Andrew’s role as Head of Business development for Arts Council of Wales covers the areas of grant monitoring, working with their Multi Year Funded organisations, grants processing systems, and sector development programmes as well as overseeing the Capital Grants programme. With a background in accountancy and business he has developed his work in the arts sector over the last 16 years with the Arts Council and in particular recognising the particular challenges of the sector, and how these have changed over the years.