Press Contact: Natalie Thomas
November 2025
Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) has announced an extensive fundraising campaign that will run throughout the festive period with one drive specifically funding the launch of a brand new youth theatre group, Young Company – Our Space.
While the theatre gears up for a jam-packed season of feel-good family shows on its three stages, including this year’s laugh-out-loud pantomime, Dick Whittington, the beloved Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas and the enchanting The Star Who Danced, TRP has also kickstarted its essential fundraising efforts to support its artistic programming, education and community engagement projects throughout the coming year.
A key focus for 2026, will be the launch of Young Company – Our Space; an extension of its current Our Space and Young Company programmes that will support children facing extreme challenges and disadvantage. The programme will provide weekly term-time sessions for 15 participants, increasing to 40 children during school holidays, and allow them to explore creativity, develop new skills, build relationships and express themselves through drama.
The current Our Space programme works with adults experiencing multiple disadvantages including homelessness, mental health issues, addiction, reoffending or social isolation, and uses drama as a tool to increase confidence whilst learning theatre skills in a fun and supportive environment. By offering bursaries, the new scheme will eliminate financial barriers for young people experiencing the most disadvantage in the region.
In order to fund Young Company – Our Space, TRP is, for the first time, taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge which is the UK’s biggest collaborative fundraising campaign and will see all donations made between 02 – 09 December doubled.
The annual, familiar Festive Appeal has also made a welcome return and will run until mid-January in conjunction with this year’s pantomime, Dick Whittington. Anyone wishing to support TRP’s Festive Appeal, which supports all of TRP’s children and young people programmes including Young Company Create and Playhouse, can do so by donating online at theatreroyal.com/donate, adding a donation when purchasing a ticket, by calling the Box Office on 01752 267222 or donating in person via buckets and donation points that are situated around the theatre. Last year’s appeal raised an incredible £23,900 which helped to support this year’s projects, each with a different goal of developing core life skills and supporting mental health. The theatre is aiming to raise £30,000 this festive period to secure its programmes working with children and young people for 2026.
Director of Partnerships & Philanthropy at TRP, Lucy Howe, said: “We’re really excited to be taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge for the first time. For our supporters, there really is no better time to ensure our work with children in the South West facing the most disadvantage can continue. With all donations doubled, it means we can make twice as much impact in developing long-lasting creative lifelines.”
To support TRP’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, visit: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS000005AcfRYAS
As a way to boost the theatre’s fundraising total even further, TRP has launched a Crowdfunder offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to this year’s pantomime, a meet and greet with the cast plus tickets to watch the show and more. Entries start at £5 and are open until 03 January. For all the details and to enter, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/experience-trp-pantomime-from-behind-the-scenes