I wrote this report four years ago as a result of the training trip I curated for the “Spanish Network of Public Theatres” to London and Oxford. In this trip, around 30 Spanish directors of public theatres traveled to London to meet English colleagues, exchanges information with them, being familiar with their projects and visits the spaces.
The report is written both in Spanish and in English and cover main aspects of cultural policies in England, description of the English model of management of theatres and a complete review of the theatres visited.
The performing arts spaces are divided into three geographical areas that cover three different theatre models. These spheres can be visualised as three concentric circles whose central point is in the centre of London.
First, the so-called regional theatres are in the outer circle, at a distance of over 80 km from the centre of London. Here is described the Oxford Playhouse.
The theatres in the London suburbs are in the second concentric circle. There can discover and analyse important aspects of the theatre policies such as setting up in the social fabric of the neighborhoods, consolidating audiences, community action, education, urban regeneration or supporting local young artists. In this circle is placed the Roundhouse, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) theatres.
In the inner circle, in the centre of London, can be discovered examples of structures that make London the world theatre capital. Learn about those specific features of the Anglo-Saxon model and its relation to the public sector through subsidies and commercial aspects, the funding system and the central cultural policies with respect to disseminating the performing arts. In that area is placed The National Theatre, South Bank Centre, The Royal Court Theatre, Sadler’s Well, and the Unicorn Theatre.
The publication can be downloaded at the following link:
Theatres in London and Oxford: Travel Notebook 1
Also available in English:
Theatres in Berlin and Potsdam: Travel Notebook 2
Theatres in the Netherlands: Travel Notebook 3
The three volumes are an indispensable collection if you want to learn the differences between the various management models of subsidized European theaters. Also provide a perfect tool for catching up on trends and innovations that pioneered performance spaces of Europe are currently developing.