£50k heritage funding for performing arts project

A theatre in South Yorkshire has secured more than £50,000 in funding for a community-led project exploring its local performing arts history.

The Doncaster on Stage scheme at the city's Cast theatre will share stories from the early Theatre Royal, which opened in 1776, as well as the Grand Theatre, the Palace of Varieties and the New Mexborough Hippodrome.

As part of the project, Doncaster People's Theatre (DPT), a company based at Cast, will host workshops, carry out research and develop a new production called Waiting in the Wings.

Nicola Doyle, community engagement manager at Cast, said she was "incredibly grateful" for the £50,778 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

"This support allows us to bridge the gap between Doncaster's past and its future, celebrating the enduring role performance plays in fostering not just civic pride, but community spirit and interconnection," she said.

DPT has members between the ages of seven and 86, a wide range which Doyle said would help "uncover, relive and pass on this precious heritage".

"It lays the groundwork for what the future of theatre in Doncaster will be, which is incredibly exciting," she added.

Waiting in the Wings is expected to feature scenes inspired by real people and historic events.

The performance is due to take place on Cast's main stage on 5 September and will be accompanied by an exhibition showcasing the project's findings.

One DPT member said the project would bring visibility to local creativity, which they said had "often existed outside the mainstream".

"It preserves the memories of performers, volunteers, audiences and community groups whose contributions may otherwise fade with time," they said.

"Understanding this history also helps us recognise how the arts have supported Doncaster through periods of economic change, social transformation and regeneration - acting as a constant source of resilience and belonging."

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