Theatre of Sanctuary - Nottingham Playhouse

We are delighted to have had our Theatre of Sanctuary status renewed for a further 3 years, to 2028.

This means we have made a provable commitment both now and into the future to be a welcoming, safe and enjoyable space for refugees and asylum seekers

Ultimately we strive at all times to represent our community and everyone in it. We want to invite as many people as possible into the world of theatre that we love so much and share all of its possibilities.

Previous Events

Get Involved

Join us at Nottingham Playhouse for our Conversation Café, where refugees and people seeking asylum can come for a free hot drink and a chat.

For an hour every week, our session leaders will be using creative topic discussions and games to encourage conversation. If you have lived experience of the asylum system and want to practice your English language skills in a relaxed and comfortable setting, come along by booking your free ticket now. We’re excited to welcome you here to say hello and enjoy a drink on us.

Book here

We believe theatre is for everybody, so we offer a limited number of bursary places for all of our Get Involved programmes. If cost is likely to be a barrier to taking part, please click here to fill out a bursary form. If you have lived experience of the asylum system, you are eligible for a bursary. We have activities for everyone of all ages from drama to crafting, have a look through our programmes by clicking here.

Want to learn more about what is happening behind the scenes to make a Theatre of Sanctuary tick?

We offer backstage tours to sanctuary seekers and organisations working with sanctuary seekers. If you are interested in booking a tour please contact participation@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk

Statement from Chief Executive, Stephanie Sirr:

“Nottingham Playhouse is an organisation that welcomes everybody and is interested in everyone’s story. We understand that everybody who comes here has a right to refuge – a safe space to share stories and conversation. We keep that possible through removing whatever barriers we can – be those financial, information or simply confidence-related.”

Statement from Co-Director of Participation, Tara Lopez:

“We are thrilled to once again be recognised for our commitment to supporting refugee and asylum seeker communities through our participatory and audience development initiatives. We are proud of the work done to date to ensure these communities feel welcome in our theatre, but this renewed status also highlights our desire to keep improving our offer and to ensure that everyone sees themselves represented and reflected within our building and on our stages.”

Jane Burd, Coordinator of the Nottingham City of Sanctuary:

“We are thrilled to announce that Nottingham Playhouse has successfully renewed their Theatre of Sanctuary award, reaffirming their commitment to welcome for another three years. The reaccreditation recognises Nottingham Playhouse’s sustained and deepening dedication to creating an inclusive space for people seeking sanctuary.

“Over the years, they have consistently demonstrated excellence in making theatre accessible and meaningful to refugee and asylum seeker communities. Their ongoing commitment to amplifying refugee voices, sharing diverse stories, and fostering cultural exchange continues to set a sterling example of what it means to be a Theatre of Sanctuary. We look forward to seeing how they build upon this foundation and further strengthen their vital work with people seeking sanctuary in the years ahead.”

Other Resources and Activities

: You can find out more about the services or events available across Nottingham by visiting the Your Notts Directory page. There, you will find signposts to further information on accessible events in the city.

: Through our 50:50 campaign, generously supported by audiences, tickets are donated to a wide variety of deserving charities and local community groups, including those focussed on children and young people, the elderly and health support.

Since 50:50 was launched over a decade ago, nearly 12,000 people who would otherwise not have the means to come to the theatre have been enabled to. To find out more please email marketing@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk.

If you’d like to join the hundreds of local theatre goers in donating to our 50:50 fund, to give someone the gift of theatre, click here. A donation of just £10 will fund one person’s ticket.

: Shine is our flagship outreach programme, offering high quality drama workshops to young people across Nottinghamshire completely free of charge. We run weekly Shine workshops with NEST (Nottingham Education Sanctuary Team), a full-time educational provision for asylum seeker and refugee young people, aged 15-19 years. These sessions feature drama games and opportunities to devise theatre, which will help to grow confidence and dramatic skills.

: Members of our Participation and Marketing teams sit on the Nottingham City of Sanctuary Steering Group and we regularly host this group’s meetings in spaces at the Playhouse.

: Art of Belonging is a Nottingham-based consortium that believes the arts and culture play a vital role in fostering a world in which refugees and asylum seekers can thrive and contribute to the enrichment of our communities.

We are a part of the Art of Belonging Steering group, and actively look at ways we can enrich and develop the lives of refugee and asylum seekers in our community.

You can read more about the pledge here.