New beginnings - Leeds Playhouse

A vibrant cultural scene is key to any thriving city, giving communities the opportunity to learn, explore, be entertained and to discover new experiences.

In Leeds, we have supported Leeds Playhouse (formerly West Yorkshire Playhouse) since Bruntwood moved into the city back in 2005. Through our partnership we’ve brought almost 1,000 people to the Playhouse and we are looking forward to continuing to engage people with the exciting projects, major developments and new work at the Playhouse.

When Leeds Playhouse was founded, it was built on the ethos of being a theatre for the people of the region, and that remains true to this day. Opening its doors (on its original site) back in 1970, the theatre was the result of a passionate public campaign. Although the Playhouse now has a national and international reputation, impacting communities far and wide, the work of the theatre remains rooted to its local beginnings.

Kate Vokes, Director of Social Impact at Bruntwood said: “The aims of Leeds Playhouse align perfectly with our own as a business, creating a vibrant, accessible space for all to enjoy, working to solve the skills and talent gap, and contributing massively to community development and social inclusion aspirations of the region.

“As part of our commitment to creating thriving cities, we support arts and culture organisations across all of the cities we operate in and encourage our customers, colleagues and communities to engage throughout the year.”

Leeds Playhouse develops progressive projects which not only engage and support the community, create debate, and explore issues that affect us all; it also, most importantly, gives the most marginalised among them a voice. At Bruntwood, we are proud to support a third of the 12 producing theatres left in the UK - helping them to deliver their key priorities and maintain their outreach and artist development initiatives.

After 30 years on Quarry Hill, the Playhouse begins a new chapter this October as a major re-development of the building completes. The massive transformation has seen the creation of a brand new studio theatre, the Bramall Rock Void, which will create a home for Furnace and a hub for local artists and theatre makers.

This month, we celebrate Leeds Playhouse and our other partners who continue to produce great theatre for which entice audiences from across the city, UK and world as we prepare for the announcement of The Bruntwood Prize for playwriting shortlist.