Supporting new and emerging theatre companies to get work on its feet
We know how difficult it can be for a new or emerging theatre company to take that first step from having an idea to actually putting a show in front of an audience.
Venue hire is often one of the biggest barriers. Paying a substantial hire fee before a single ticket has been sold can make producing work feel impossible, particularly for companies at the beginning of their journey.
That’s why we created 53New.
53New is one of 53two’s charitable initiatives, designed to give new and emerging companies and creatives an affordable route to presenting work in a professional city-centre theatre.
The scheme offers reduced venue hire, with the option to defer payment until after your project has taken place. This means you don’t have to find the full venue cost upfront before you have had the opportunity to sell tickets.
For some companies, that breathing space can be the difference between an idea staying on the page and a production actually reaching an audience.
A professional platform for new work
53New gives emerging companies the opportunity to present work at 53two, learn through doing it, build an audience and develop their profile.
We want companies to be able to take creative risks without the same level of upfront financial pressure they might face through a conventional venue hire.
The work remains your work. Your company is responsible for the artistic development, production and delivery of the project, while 53two provides the venue and the normal practical support associated with presenting work here.
Promotion of your show
53New productions receive the same standard promotional support we provide to other incoming productions at 53two.
Depending on the timing and material supplied, this includes promotion through:
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our Mailchimp audience, 53two website, Instagram and Facebook channels, plus in-house promotion through posters, flyers and our venue screens.
We put considerable effort into promoting the programme at 53two, but companies should also actively promote their own work and build their own audiences alongside the venue campaign.
Practical support, not a mentoring programme
When 53New first began, our team was sometimes able to offer more informal development advice. As the venue and programme have grown, we can no longer promise that consistently.
53New is therefore an access-to-space and presentation programme, rather than a formal mentoring or producing programme.
Our team will, of course, provide the usual practical information and venue support needed to bring your production into 53two, but companies should not apply expecting ongoing artistic mentoring, producing support or bespoke development sessions as part of the scheme.
We think it is important to be clear about that so that every company knows exactly what 53New provides.
Removing the upfront barrier
The most important part of 53New is its financial model.
Rather than requiring an emerging company to find the full venue hire fee in advance, qualifying companies can access a reduced hire rate and defer payment until after their project.
That allows companies to use income generated through ticket sales towards the venue cost rather than having to raise all of that money before the production begins.
It is a relatively simple intervention, but feedback from companies that have used 53New tells us that it can make a significant difference.
For some, it has made staging the work possible. For others, a 53New production has helped them reach new audiences, gain recognition, build confidence and move on to further productions and opportunities.
Who is 53New for?
53New is intended for new and emerging theatre companies and creatives who are developing their practice and need an affordable opportunity to present work professionally.
We are particularly interested in supporting companies for whom the upfront cost of venue hire would otherwise be a genuine barrier to getting the work on stage.
As a charity, our aim is not simply to discount a room. It is to help create a realistic route for emerging artists and companies to take that important next step: make the work, put it in front of an audience and see where it can lead.
Interested in 53New?
If you think your company or production could be suitable for 53New, get in touch with us and tell us about the work you would like to bring to 53two.
We’ll talk you through availability, costs, the deferred-payment arrangement and the current 53New terms and conditions.
We want 53New to give emerging companies the chance to take a risk on their work without having to take the same risk with their cashflow.
