We’re Part Of The East Anglian Touring Consortium

Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds has joined a new partnership called the East Anglian Touring Consortium (EATC), which aims to strengthen and expand the region’s theatre scene.

The consortium has been made possible thanks to a National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England and includes several major producing theatres across East Anglia: Eastern Angles, HighTide, Landmark Theatres (New Theatre Peterborough), Mercury Theatre Colchester, New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

Who is the consortium for?

The East Anglia Touring Consortium wants to make theatre and performance easier to access for everyone, especially people in communities that don’t usually get to attend the theatre. They are working to make sure more people can enjoy live and digital performances, no matter where they live, their background or financial status.

Reaching More People

The consortium’s goal is to reach the widest audience possible, particularly people from rural areas, small towns and villages that are far from theatres. Equally, communities with lower incomes and individuals in areas of socio-economic hardship. The consortium will invite new audiences from specific local areas, identified as those in need and support them by funding tickets to be distributed by local groups, charities and communities who can support them. The aim is to reach 15,000 people at live shows throughout venues and another 3,000 online, so that even people further away can enjoy the performances.

Supporting Local Talent

This project aims to support local artists, creatives and freelancers to grow stronger and become more connected by:

• Hiring at least half of the freelancers from East Anglia.
• Spending a week developing the shows with input from local audiences.
• Offering training and sharing knowledge among local arts organisations.

A Better Model for the Future

The consortium is testing a new way of touring shows that could be used across the UK. The project aims to:

• Encourage arts organisations to work together more.
• Make theatre-making more resilient and sustainable.
• Reduce environmental impact by using greener travel and encouraging sustainable transport.

This project is about creating a lasting, inclusive, and eco-friendly way to bring theatre to more people.

Benefits for Local Audiences

For audiences in Bury St Edmunds, the consortium means greater variety and access. Productions created through the EATC will tour between the partner theatres, giving local audiences the opportunity to see brand-new work developed in the region without having to travel far.

It will also encourage a broader range of stories and styles, reflecting the diversity of East Anglia’s communities and culture. By being part of this network, Theatre Royal will play an important role in ensuring that people in West Suffolk can enjoy professional, innovative theatre on their doorstep.

What It Means for Theatre Royal’s Future Productions

As a producing house, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds already creates its own in-house productions each year. Recent successes, such as A Tryal of Witches, have shown the strength of locally made theatre.

Being part of the East Anglian Touring Consortium will add another dimension to that work. The theatre will be able to co-produce shows with other venues, share resources such as sets and creative teams, access equipment such as captioning screens and take part in regional touring.

For local theatregoers, this is good news. It means more choice, more collaboration, and more opportunities to see exciting new work made by and for East Anglian audiences.

Looking Ahead

The consortium’s first joint production is currently in development and is expected to tour several East Anglian venues, including Theatre Royal, in the near future. The production will be announce on the 20th October 2025.

As Theatre Royal continues to grow as a creative hub for Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk, being part of the East Anglian Touring Consortium marks an important step forward – ensuring that professional theatre in our region continues to thrive, reach new audiences, and tell stories that matter close to home.

Read more about it in a news article from Suffolk News here.