Today is International Day of Charity, a day designated by the United Nations to recognise charities’ significant work to alleviate human suffering.
Many people in Norfolk may not be aware that Norwich Theatre is a charity. Through our places and performances, we bring people together and provide a creative space for them to explore their creativity. We are proud of the part we play in our community and are committed to making all our creative experiences have a wide-reaching positive impact to bring about social change and generate prosperity for our city, our region, our sector and our world.
Creativity is not just about making and presenting theatre. We offer creative experiences for every age, diversity and interest, and every make-up of family and community. Our creative engagement activities prevent and tackle loneliness and social isolation and improve mental and physical wellbeing and resilience. We aim to help people develop the skills and confidence to flourish. These activities and collective experiences benefit older adults and other groups we work with, including new parents, LGBTQ+, SEND, and those from Global Majority communities.
For example:
- Our regular Theatre Cares workshops use the power of music to support an improved quality of life for those living with mild to moderate dementia, nurturing the relationship between caregivers and those that they care for.
- We deliver Theatre of Possibility activities for autistic children aged 12 -17, with the aim to inspire confidence through playful drama games and theatre skills – as well as having lots of fun!
- Theatre Makers programme, Being Migrant, provides an opportunity for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to engage creatively and connect with other communities whilst joining a support network where they can feel valued, visible and heard.
Today, the United Nations is encouraging acts of charity to commemorate and raise awareness of the role that charities undertake in their community, and here at Norwich Theatre, we are doing the same.
Our creative experiences already reach some of our community’s most at-risk and underrepresented members, but these are challenging times, and we cannot meet the demand.
Friends and Supporters Manager Hannah Crouch explains why Norwich Theatre is asking for your support:
“Here at Norwich Theatre, we take our role in our community very seriously and are proud of the impact we have. We believe creative experiences are for everyone. Whether we are working with schools, families, refugees or in communities, we witness every day that creativity changes lives.
“We receive no regular revenue funding from any public sources. This means that every pound that people donate is vital. And every penny in every one of these pounds is spent on education and creative engagement activities in the community.
“We’d like to take this opportunity not only to thank our loyal supporters whose generosity fuels our vision to have a wide-reaching positive impact but to encourage anyone who shares this vision to find out more about how they can support us today.”
You can make a donation to Norwich Theatre or learn more about how to support our charity here.