“Excellent art and great culture matter.” So pronounced Dame Margaret Hodges’ independent review of Arts Council England, published last December. To take the business angle first: the arts play a vital role in the UK economy, generating over £10 billion per year in gross value added (GVA) in museums, galleries and libraries alone.

Social cohesion
The review estimates (2023 figures) that across the whole of the creative industries £124 billion GVA was generated and makes the point that as well as benefits to tourism and the hospitality sector, cultural investment is one of the most successful interventions in regeneration. It also maintains that “the arts help to engender our sense of place, our identity and social cohesion”.

Without equal
All this chimes well with Soho Theatre’s raison d’être. A charity and social enterprise, it is generally accepted to be without equal as London’s most vibrant producer of new theatre, comedy and cabaret. Its roots lie in the 1970s when it was a radical fringe theatre with a tiny company.

Talent
The modern incarnation dates from 2000 when its Dean Street venue – a maze of performance areas over four floors in the heart of Soho – was opened. The talent that has benefited from early exposure at the theatre is phenomenal – Rob Brydon, Lucy Porter, Ricky Gervais, Andrea Risborough, Daniel Kitson, Martin Freeman, Ben Whishaw, Andrew Scott, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nish Kumar and Hannah Gadsby are just some of the artists who have performed there in the early stages of their careers.

Diaspora
Moreover, tie-ins with the Edinburgh Fringe and the Melbourne Comedy Festival, as well as the creation of Soho Theatre India – where they present Indian superstar comedians – has globalised their brand. There is no doubt that the company’s brand and identity are informed by being in London, a city which is outward looking, globally connected and enriched by its diaspora communities.

Anniversary
The theatre has also turned its attention to more local matters and is celebrating the first anniversary of Soho Theatre Walthamstow. The opening last May of the former Granada Cinema, a venue with a fascinating pedigree (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield and Johnny Cash all played there) was the culmination of 15 years of campaigning.

Determined
Local resident Mark Godfrey, Soho Theatre’s executive director and chief executive, threw his weight into the project. He worked closely with Waltham Forest Council and fellow hard-working and determined enthusiasts in the area to ensure that obstacles – such as financing, planning permission, and a public enquiry – were overcome and that the local community in the outer London borough would benefit.

Thriving
The selection by the Mayor of London of Waltham Forest as the inaugural Borough of Culture in 2019 was an important step in the journey. There now is a thriving 960 seat venue outside Central London hosting acts such as Aisling Bea, Jason Manford, James Acaster and Sue Perkins. In the next few months Lenny Henry, Phil Wang and Harry Enfield will appear.

New work
Aligning with Soho Theatre’s mission to create new work, Soho Theatre Walthamstow is nurturing creative talent and engaging diverse audiences with a line-up of taster workshops, full- length Local Labs, In Conversation events, Write Night (playwrights’ drop-in sessions) and The Makers’ Lab (a programme for solo artists or small ensembles to devise innovative new work). Young people are getting involved through schemes such as the Primary Playwrights programme which supports young people (across five schools in the borough) to write their first play.

There is also the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the theatre to admire the immaculate restoration and see the original features of grand Moorish arches and 1930s Spanish baroque and learn of the work of the community who campaigned to save the building.

Economic value
Godfrey (pictured) and Sam Hansford, co-executive directors of Soho Theatre Walthamstow summed up the project: “With artists and audiences at its heart and a dynamic social enterprise ethos, Soho Theatre Walthamstow will create countless joyful, memory- making experiences for many people. Alongside the well-documented cultural, social and wellbeing benefits, this investment in cultural infrastructure also delivers clear economic value – speaking directly to the wider priorities of culture-led growth and, through our international collaborations, to soft power gains.”

The impact of Waltham Forest Council’s investment in culture, under the leadership of Cllr Grace Williams, is already being felt. Tourists and home buyers have been attracted, local businesses have been supported and jobs created. The borough is firmly on the map – with world class art and entertainment delivered on the doorstep, to boot.

Investment
As Margaret Hodges’ review points out, despite the many arguments for investment in the arts, the funding picture over the last decade has been bleak. The UK spends less on culture than most of the countries in Europe. Soho Theatre’s initiative and awareness in taking the arts to the suburbs is welcome and much needed but the government is missing a valuable opportunity if it ignores the benefits that can accrue from greater public intervention.

 

 

Get involved with Soho

Soho Theatre Company scooped the Community Business of the Year Gold Award at the LCCI SME Business Awards – see page 8 for report.

Audience reach
The theatre attracts audiences of over 400,000 people each year and has more than a million social media followers. Soho Theatre values its partnerships and business collaborations – these include British Airways, Amazon and Adnams Brewery alongside small, local businesses. Get in touch to find out about exclusive hospitality and great nights out, giving access to impressive audience reach and providing
high-level profile.

www.sohotheatre.com