Corporate partner sought for Shakespeare North Playhouse
- Alan Hulme
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Shakespeare North Playhouse, the award-winning replica 17th century-style theatre in Prescot, Merseyside, is looking for a corporate naming-rights partner to support the theatre’s ambitions over the next decade.
The theatre is hoping the partnership - claimed to be the first of its type for a UK theatre - will cost a sponsor over £300,000 a year, to help drive Shakespeare North and Knowsley Council’s vision for the Playhouse, Prescot and the wider area.
The project is being led by consultancy Cultural Capital Partners, which secured a landmark £35.2 million naming rights deal for the Aviva Studios, Factory International's arts centre in Manchester, in 2023.
Lisa Allen, CEO and creative director at Shakespeare North Playhouse, said: “This is a bold move for Shakespeare North, which will ensure future sustainability for many years to come.
"We have ambitious plans to bring Shakespeare and theatre experiences to the broadest range of people possible, across local communities and beyond. Naming rights will support our belief that culture can change lives, allowing us to continue to produce high quality, accessible art.”
Steve Rotheram, who is Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Shakespeare North has quickly become a cultural hub for our entire city region. It’s much more than just a theatre – it’s a catalyst for regeneration, education and opportunity.
"In a short space of time it has made an incredible impact on the local community and it’s my hope it will continue to inspire, educate and bring people together for generations to come.”
Shakespeare North is home to the only 17th-century-style, timber-built "cockpit" theatre outside London. The £35m project is a major part of Knowsley Council’s work to regenerate the borough and bring new opportunities and experiences to local people. Since opening, the theatre has had over 300,000 visitors – about a tenth of whom hadn't been in a theatre before.
The building has won 34 awards, including prestigious RIBA awards and The Stage's "theatre building of the year" award in 2023. Les Dennis, Steve Coogan, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Johnny Vegas, Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and Stephen Graham are among artists to have appeared there.
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