Theatre by the Lake has launched a year-round Give the Gift of Theatre fundraising initiative to make theatre more accessible for everyone.
Over Christmas, TBTL's Give the Gift of Theatre fundraising campaign raised more than £17,000 to enable 250 hard-up families to attend their seasonal show, A Little Princess. As a result TBTL has decided to run its scheme all year round.
TBTL has worked with Public Health Cumbria to identify families to support and with Rotary Club of Cockermouth has raised money to provide both free tickets and transport. The campaign has also involved TBTL's business supporters, David Allen IT, CRS Facilities Management, Muckles LLP and UK Global Broking Group.
A spokesperson for the West Cumbria Refugee Support Network, which brought a group to see the show, said: "Two of our resettled refugee families absolutely loved the show! One Afghan man, who went with his wife and two children, said it was 'a really unique experience for all of us'."
TBTL artistic director Liz Stevenson said "With the year-round campaign we'll be able to support more families and individuals to experience the joy of live theatre and create lasting memories."
Give the Gift of Theatre will fund tickets for people facing financial hardship and continue to make theatre more accessible with British Sign Language, Captioned, Audio Described and Relaxed Performances, and provide heavily discounted tickets for schools.
More info or make a donation here