More than 100,000 young people across England will have the opportunity to develop new skills and confidence through theatre with funding from the government's Every Child Can programme, announced by the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy at a special event held with partners at the National Theatre.

The funding supports National Theatre Nationwide, a new national partnership which will share shows, youth projects, digital access and skills training, embedding the National Theatre's activity and resource across all nine English regions with 12 leading theatres. The following lead partners make up the Nationwide network: Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, Birmingham Hippodrome, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Curve in Leicester, Lowry in Salford, Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Norwich Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, Southampton Mayflower, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Theatre Royal, Nottingham. Each partner theatre will curate the elements of the programme that feels most relevant for their local community, co-created with the National Theatre.

At a time when many families continue to face cost-of-living pressures, the partnership is united by a shared purpose: making the arts more affordable and accessible, and a career in them possible to young people in every post code. National Theatre Nationwide will give more young people, wherever they live, the chance to experience the transformative power of theatre: to express themselves, discover what they’re capable of, build confidence, forge new friendships and feel proud of where they come from.

Up to £15 million from the government’s Dormant Assets Scheme over the next four years, combined with funding secured by the National Theatre, will bring the total investment in the programme to £27 million. This represents a generational commitment to developing young people’s future through theatre, and new theatre audiences across the country.

The launch of this landmark partnership was celebrated with the partners at the National Theatre hosted by Co-Chief Executives Indhu Rubasingham and Kate Varah. Theatre leaders, young people and well-known actors and creatives including Adjoa Andoh, Fisayo Akinade, Jim Carter, James Graham, Jill Halfpenny, Adrian Lester, Joe Locke, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bella Maclean, Francesca Mills, Imelda Staunton, and Indira Varma from every region of England joined Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, to share their lasting experiences of theatre and the impact that theatre can have on opportunities, careers, and creativity.

At the event the 12 partners shared how National Theatre Nationwide will bring world class National Theatre performances into their own theatres and local schools alongside learning and skills programmes into their communities, creating a holistic, year-round programme that will widen access to theatre, and help young people in each locality enrich their lives and take their first steps towards careers. Threaded through the programme is an emphasis on representing the experiences, interests and voices of young people across England, achieved through creation of a new National Theatre Nationwide Youth Council and by locating ten Youth Managers focused on the partnership in theatres across the country.

The funding announced today forms part of the government's Every Child Can programme, helping to break down barriers to opportunity by funding activities and facilities that young people might otherwise struggle to access. Irrigating the National Theatre's work, resources and expertise across the country through this extensive partnership with leading theatres, the programme will expand access to world-class theatre in places where opportunities can be limited, creating new pathways into the arts and careers in theatre and beyond for young people everywhere.

This tailored, wide-ranging programme will also address significant challenges faced by the sector in skills shortages and lack of opportunities to gain employment in theatre, both of which are having a negative impact on the growth of the sector. Data from DCMS shows that 30% of job vacancies in the cultural sector are affected by skills shortages, with 60% of theatres reporting that staff shortages have worsened since 2019. In addition, research from Ravensbourne University found that 75% of 18-25 year-olds want to work in creative sectors, but 42% say it’s too hard to find entry-level opportunities.