In this episode, Dr Kay Hepplewhite speaks with Corinne Kilvington, Artistic Director and founder of Theatre Space North East, Sunderland's only professional producing theatre company. They discuss the importance of accessible, community-led theatre and the challenges facing grassroots theatre makers in the city.

During their conversation, they explore:

• Theatre Space North East's work to remove barriers to theatre and creativity, including its free Summer of Shakespeare productions, community projects and youth theatre.
• The importance of nurturing people's creativity, confidence and skills, and creating welcoming spaces where everyone feels they belong.
• The strengths of Sunderland's amateur and community theatre, alongside the challenges of limited funding and opportunities for professional theatre makers.
• The need for affordable, small-scale rehearsal and performance space where artists can experiment, develop new work and build audiences.
• How greater collaboration, better training, more ambitious funding and a shared creative strategy could help strengthen Sunderland's theatre ecology.
• Why access to theatre should be a right for everyone, not a privilege.

This conversation is part of Local Theatres: Participation, Inclusion, Imagination, an AHRC-funded research project exploring the people, places and practices that shape local theatre.

Find out more:

localtheatres.wordpress.com

https://www.theatrespace.org.uk/