Theatre Deli was set up to challenge the way theatre space and resources were used and shared. 

As young artists we were dissatisfied with the barriers to make and experience work, and how much power venues had to make or break careers, limit the scale of work being made, and how exclusive they felt to local artists and audiences. 

So we decided to rethink how we made and presented art and venue space. Over the last 10 years we’ve worked with property developers to take over empty and unused spaces in city centres to create 10 ‘pop-up’ arts spaces in everything from an ex-BBC building to an old Woolworths building. 

We approach buildings like they are artistic projects themselves - we create bright, colourful, inclusive spaces where all artists and audiences feel at home.

Our venues, and the art made and supported in them, are visceral; encouraging the audience and users to participate, touch, talk about and immerse themselves in. 

We’ve helped artists achieve a scale of production they wouldn’t be able to elsewhere, like Circumference’s immersive circus story, Shelter Me that happened over 4 stories of a giant office block; or our outdoor children’s festival Rain or Shine which toured shows nationally over one weekend. 

The majority of the theatre we stage is either free or less than £10, and we give away 40,000 hours of free and subsidised rehearsal space to artists every year. 

We are generously supported by some of the UK’s largest property developers including British Land and Standard Aberdeen, who donate both buildings and finance to support the artists we work with.

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Theatre Deli exists to empower artists who want to change the world.

We do this by creating free & affordable opportunities for marginalised artists to make & experience art. 

To keep our work going, we need to generate over £1.5 million a year to cover our costs. In 2019 we need to fundraise £200,000 to support the next stage of our growth. 

Donate here.