We are delighted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made it clear that he is strongly committed to supporting the arts. He highlights the major benefit the arts give to children’s economic and social success, and notes it is particularly important for those from underserved communities.

In this issue, we are introduced to the theatre works! team. Building a strong team is one of the things we are doing to create a sustainable future for theatre works! There’s also the big reveal of our new strap line and we have big giveaways from the producers of Wicked and to attend the Globe theatre.

Although simply “giving cash” is the most popular way for people to donate to charity, there are other ways to make gifts both during your lifetime and after death.

As our charity grows and the potential becomes clearer we need to add to our small enthusiastic volunteer group with the following part-time remote working roles.

In this issue, we share comments from children and teachers who attended recent theatre performances. Additionally, we spotlight an exciting venture where theatre becomes a powerful tool in addressing teen mental health issues. These stories not only showcase the impact of theatre on young minds but also illustrate how it serves as a catalyst for discussion and understanding around critical topics.

We are thrilled to announce that The Cotswold Youth Theatre Group was recently awarded a spectacular evening at The Bridge Theatre in London to see the acclaimed production of "Guys & Dolls."

This month we hit a meaningful milestone - 8000 children will now experience the joy of live theatre through our programme. We think of each theatre ticket as a gateway for a child, unlocking doors to imagination, inspiration, and the sheer delight that live theatre brings.

We’ve just finished our busiest period to date, with grants for over 1700 theatre tickets approved for children from underserved communities in the last three months. We are also excited to announce the receipt of a generous donation of £10,000 from an anonymous donor… click to read more.

Holly Barradell of Open Drama interviewed Sharon Studer, Chair of theatre works!, for her weekly podcast . The interview covers a wide-ranging discussion about theatre works! and the work we do. Click to listen now.

We have been touched by the kind generosity of US donors who have expressed an interest in having the free theatre ticket programme extended to the US. We plan to offer the programme in selected US cities, where tickets will be provided through theatres.

Our grant applications went from three or four a month to three or four a week. We committed to give more tickets in the first six months of this year, than the entire previous year…

The footage in this video is from a recent Cheltenham Everyman performance. We supported three schools to attend the performance with 81 students.