The Stage

The Stage begins hunt for your regional theatre champions

Published Wednesday 8 September 2010 at 14:00 by Matthew Hemley

Give us your choice for our annual TMA Award, writes Matthew Hemley

Nominations for The Stage Award for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre - won last year for the first time by a reader choice - are now being sought.

The award forms part of the Theatrical Management Association Theatre Awards 2010, in association with The Stage. It is traditionally presented to an individual or organisation in recognition of the important contribution they have made to theatre in the regions over the last year.

Previous winners of the award include Northern Stage, touring theatre company Mind the Gap, English Youth Ballet and Latitude Festival, which received the accolade in 2008, in recognition of its effort to take theatre to a new audience.

Last year, The Theatre Chipping Norton won in recognition of what a small venue can do in difficult economic times and in the face of subsidy drops, after it lost its entire £40,000 grant from Arts Council England in 2008.

The venue was put forward by Stage reader Sarah Maxfield, becoming the first reader-nominated choice to win the accolade.

It beat competition from the Theatre Royal Stratford East, the Chichester Festival Theatre, the Corn Exchange in Newbury and the Schools Theatre Support Group.

Issuing a call for nominations for this year’s award, Brian Attwood, editor of The Stage, said: “We want to repeat last year’s success in arriving at an award winner picked from among the names nominated by our readers.

“Competition is always fierce but choosing names for the shortlist doesn’t come down to how many nominations someone gets or how well-known they are.”

He added: “What we look for is a well-argued case and a suggestion our panel might have overlooked.”

This year, the three best reader suggestions will be included in the long list of nominations considered by The Stage panel, ahead of the awards ceremony taking place on November 7 at Lyric Hammersmith.

Nominations should be emailed to nominations@thestage.co.uk, or by post to the editor, clearly marked as TMA Awards Nominations, by September 16.

The address is: Stage House, 47 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XT. Please include your name, address and reasons for nomination (100 words maximum).

Past winners:

2009 - The Theatre Chipping Norton

What is it?

The Theatre is a 217-seat venue which hosts a mixture of shows it produces itself and from touring companies.

Why did it win?

The venue was nominated by Sarah Maxfield, chief executive of regional development agency Oxford Inspires, for its work in bringing “nationally and regionally important work to smaller rural communities”. Judges were impressed by the theatre’s ability to increase its income, despite losing its entire ¬£40,000 grant from ACE in 2008. The venue earns approximately 75% of its income and sells about 50,000 tickets a year.

Who did it beat?

Chichester Festival Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, the Corn Exchange in Newbury, the Schools Theatre Support Group.

Who is in charge?

John Terry is director of The Theatre.

2008 - Latitude Festival

What is it?

Latitude is a multi-art form event established five years ago and held annually in a collection of fields in Suffolk.

Why did it win?

It won for its efforts in taking the performing arts to a new audience and its ability to attract a broad range of age groups. Its theatre tent has hosted performances from the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court and Sadler’s Wells.

Who did it beat?

The Arcola Theatre, Hall for Cornwall, producer Richard Jordan, producer Edward Snape and the RSC.

Who is in charge?

Tania Harrison is the festival’s art curator.

2007 - Bruntwood Group

What is it?

Bruntwood is a commercial property company which manages buildings in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.

Why did it win?

The prize was given to the company for its charitable work and financial support for the arts, which is delivered through the Oglesby Charitable Trust. It sponsors the biennial Bruntwood Play Writing Competition at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, which gives the writer of an unperformed work the chance to present a production at the venue.

Who did it beat?

Northumberland Theatre Company, Nottingham Playhouse Young Critics Scheme, Chickenshed and the Tivoli Theatre Trust.

Who is in charge?

Michael Oglesby is the founder and chairman of Bruntwood.

2006 - English Youth Ballet

What is it?

Founded in 1998, EYB presents full-length classical ballets across the UK, starring professional dancers and young performers aged

eight to 18.

Why did it win?

EYB was recognised for its work giving young dancers outside of London the chance to perform within a professional setting in regional theatres across England, Scotland and Wales.

Who did it beat?

The Theatre Writing Partnership, the Watermill Theatre, Plymouth Theatre Royal Applause Club and A Play, a Pie and a Pint.

Who is in charge?

Janet Lewis is director of EYB.

Nominations should be emailed to nominations@thestage.co.uk, or by post to the editor, clearly marked as TMA Awards Nominations, by September 16.

The address is: Stage House, 47 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XT. Please include your name, address and reasons for nomination (100 words maximum).