Bristol Old Vic Celebrates 260 Anniversary With Response To “Arts Emergency”

The Bristol theatre has a hugely exciting year programmed to tackle crisis with MI260

Bristol Old Vic’s 260th Anniversary Year is quickly approaching, with the theatre’s Artistic Director launching a brand new scheme in celebration.

The theatre is responding to what is being called an “emergency” in the arts by industry leaders. Accessibility and relevance are two issues creating barriers to the industry for young people.

Schools, already facing a funding crisis, are less likely to bring pupils to the theatre than ever before. Access has been further exacerbated by a reduction in original new work being taken into schools.

This, the theatre says, is ‘creating a generation of pupils who could go their entire academic life without experiencing theatre.’

The Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA) published a report last year that found young adults from working class backgrounds are four times less likely to work in creative industries than their more affluent middle-class counterparts.

To address the crisis, a new scheme to meet the cultural needs of young people in Bristol will take place. A brand new and free Theatre in Education programme will be taking place in state secondary schools across Bristol in 2026.

Bristol Old Vic will be creating work aimed at young people in secondary education made specifically for them. It aims to ‘provoke’ or even ‘inspire’. The work will looking at British identity and what it means to be British in 2026.

Two new plays will be written by two of the theatre’s Five Year Commitment writers – Sam Parker and Muneera Pilgrim. They will be mentored through the process by Hannah Khalil and Winsome Pinnock – the other two writers on the programme.

It will see the theatre’s Made in Bristol training programme for young theatre-makers team up with the writers to create two pieces of high quality theatre aimed at young people. The theatre’s BOV Future Fund will be funding the programme.

The plays will be directed by Bristol Old Vic’s Artistic Director Nancy Medina and Literary & Directors Associate Lisa Gregan.

It’s an exciting development not just for the Bristol theatre scene. A generation of children are growing up at a time when the arts has not just become prohibitively expensive for both creatives and audiences, but barriers and not belonging can also stop young people from taking part.

Writer Muneera Pilgrim said there is “much to adore” about the new scheme.

She says: “It speaks to me for so many reasons, but primarily because it centres accessibility and collaboration, putting young people’s voices and stories at the heart of the work Sam and I create. This project intentionally disrupts current models of theatre attendance, bringing the magic and possibility of theatre to a generation of young people who are in school and at a stage in life where they are shaping their own narratives. This project democratises art through the voices, eyes and ears of young theatre makers and young audiences; I hope it will allow new meaning to emerge, just when the world needs it the most.”

As part of the 260th celebrations, the theatre has also created a new model of learning for its Made In Bristol (MIB) group who will be taking part in the scheme. MIB260 will be training a team to deliver a Theatre in Education (TIE) tour to support and mentor people in areas such as performance, set, costume, sound and lighting design as well as stage management and creating work in community contexts.

Due to the struggle of young people accessing theatre, theatre training and cultural activities – if at all – for financial reasons, the project will be aimed at Bristol schools with high levels of Free School Meals and Pupil Premiums.

“This is our theatre’s 260th birthday, so we want to reflect on our shared past and heritage whilst talking about our present and how we look to the future,” Nancy Medina says.

“We are thrilled to be able to draw on the talents of our Five Year Commitment writers. To also have the opportunity to harness our longstanding Made In Bristol initiative to deliver these productions directly into schools just shows how Bristol Old Vic is filling the gaps in cultural engagement in school provision.  We recognise the importance of children having extra-curricular opportunities and we feel it’s important for us to contribute to that opportunity in every way we can.”

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