Curve Annual Review 2022/23 by Curve Theatre

ANNUAL REVIEW 2022/23

Photograph Marc Brenner

WELCOME 2022/2023 is the first full year we’ve been able to welcome inperson audiences since Covid closed our doors in March 2020. We are delighted therefore to report it is arguably our most successful year-to-date with our work reaching more than one million audience members, and financial turnover at an all-time high of just over £17m. Under our Made at Curve banner of produced work, we presented nine shows – including the first non-replica production of BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL in the UK. BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL was a critical and audience success playing to over 40,000 people with the production bringing home the Best Regional Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards and Best Musical at the UK Theatre Awards. We also worked in partnership with some of the UK’s leading artists and producers on a number of co-productions throughout the year including collaborating with Curve Associate Akram Khan on the world premiere of JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED, co-producing THE PARADIS FILES with Graeae and supporting our friends at Frantic Assembly to remount the award-winning production of OTHELLO. We were delighted to end the year with a trip to the Emerald City after a two-year delay with our much-anticipated production of THE WIZARD OF OZ playing Christmas 2022. We continued to fly the flag for Leicester and Curve with our productions and co-productions selling over 840,500 tickets in theatres across the UK and internationally. Thanks to Arts Council England Project Grant funding, our touring work included the re-mount of our 2019 award-winning production of THE COLOR PURPLE which played theatres across England and Wales for the first time. In addition, our co-production of GREASE continued to entertain audiences in the West End at the Dominion Theatre, and choreographer Arlene Philips was awarded Best Choreographer at the WhatsOnStage Awards. Whilst our work on stage may garner greater press and media attention, our engagement programmes for everyone who lives, works and learns in our city remains firmly at the beating heart of Curve. Across the year our Creative Programme for schools, colleges, universities and community groups engaged 30,000 participants including 21,000 young people. We also continued to support local artists through a range of initiatives including our annual New Work Festival, which featured 44 artists and over 200 participants.

Photograph Ellie Kurttz

Thanks to the generous support from Leicester-based music licensing company PPL PRS we delivered the first full year of our Neighbour-Hubs programme. Through our Neighbour-Hubs initiative we hope to establish long-term creative partnerships with schools and community organisations across five areas of the city. In the last year there were more than 3,700 instances of people all ages taking part in free and low-cost activities from across our ‘Hubs’, ensuring finances were not a barrier to engaging with Curve. Like many theatres and responsible businesses, we are committed to playing our part in tackling environmental pollution and reducing the carbon footprint of our building and activities. In 2022/23 we focused our efforts on reducing waste and improving energy efficiency through a range of initiatives across the business. Throughout the year we reduced our electricity use by over 100,000kg CO2e compared to our last full year of operating, and we recycled over 220 tonnes of metal, paper, plastic and glass. Whilst we celebrate this as one of Curve’s most successful years, with 249,900 tickets sold across just under 600 performances in our LE1 home, we must also consider these achievements within the context of a challenging landscape. In the last year we have seen costs across the business increase significantly, from soaring production costs through to a six-figure increase in our energy bills, all against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis. We are committed to doing everything we can to maintain our artistic ambitions, our community engagement programmes and our accessible pricing, but we are mindful we are navigating an exceptionally difficult economic climate. Whilst we know the next few years will continue to be a challenge for both Curve and our industry, we remain ambitious and determined for our future success. Our sincere thanks go to Team Curve, our Board of Trustees, our principal funders Arts Council England and Leicester City Council and all of our loyal audiences and supporters – you all play a vital role in making Curve the special place it is. Chris Stafford (CEO) Nikolai Foster (Artistic Director)

This is my first Chair’s statement having taken up the role officially in November 2022; so many of the accomplishments throughout 2022/23 happened under the watch of my illustrious predecessor, Ian Squires. Having taken the baton and now formally reflecting on the year, I am once again in awe of the sheer quantity and quality of the work that takes place on and off Curve’s stages in ever more challenging circumstances. The jewel in Curve’s 2022 crown has to be Nikolai Foster’s glorious production of BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL. Despite the legacy of Covid continuing to wreak havoc on our industry, resulting in six days of performances having to be cancelled before it even opened, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL eventually premiered in July to rapturous reviews. The Times called it “A flat out masterpiece” a sentiment that was echoed by the nightly standing ovations and strong word of mouth. Billy – as it was affectionately known in the building – was a true celebration of the spirit of Curve, with 38 local young people working alongside some of the finest talent in UK theatre today. Curve’s standing in the industry was further recognised by Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster being placed 16 in The Stage 100 list of the most influential people and partnerships in theatre. Curve’s reputation for producing and co-producing quality, large scale musicals continued with the opening of SISTER ACT at the Hammersmith Apollo in July and our acclaimed producing of GREASE played a summer season in the West End.

sessions, projects and performances at Curve. Our Creative Programmes team continued to create and build links with the local community via our Neighbour-Hubs programme, as well as offering an extensive programme of work for children, young people and teachers. We further grew our provision for our elderly community through regular memory cafés in our Neighbour-Hub settings too. Thanks to the Headley Trust and our friends at PPL PRS for supporting these vital programmes in our local community. Curve is supported by an annual grant from Arts Council England and we are delighted to have secured a further three years of funding as an NPO to April 2026. We are indebted to the team at Arts Council for this continued support, as well as our partners Leicester City Council; we don't take this funding for granted and we simply wouldn’t be able to deliver the range and depth of work without this vital support. I’d like to extend my thanks to Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster for their ongoing devotion to the building and all who enter her, be they staff, audience members, visiting companies or artists. I’d also like to thank my predecessor Ian Squires and fellow trustees for placing their faith in me as Chair. I consider myself very lucky to lead this terrific theatre and shall work very hard to repay that trust. Sita McIntosh (Chair)

However, Curve is also recognised for the community work that reflects the local people of Leicester and there is probably no better example of this than FINDING HOME: LEICESTER’S UGANDAN ASIAN STORY AT 50 which acknowledged and celebrated the contribution of the Asian community who made Leicester their home when Idi Amin expelled them from Uganda in 1972. Over the course of 16 performances, 40 community performers brought to life three world premieres by local writers Chandni Mistry, Dilan Raithatha and Ashok Patel. Curve’s contribution to this important anniversary was acknowledged at a special event hosted by His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. We remain committed to supporting creatives, theatre-makers, practitioners and artists from the Midlands, and over the last year more than 1,100 people have taken part in Artist Development

Left to right: Chris Stafford (CEO), Sita McIntosh (Chair) and Nikolai Foster (Artistic Director)

Photograph Marc Brenner

MADE AT CURVE Work produced and co-produced by Curve BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION

BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION

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“A flat-out masterpiece” THE TIMES

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“A sublime musical experience” WHATSONSTAGE

“Billy Elliot @curveleicester is one of my favourite ever nights at the theatre” THE TIMES

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“Nikolai Foster’s unforgettable new version” THE GUARDIAN

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“Theatrically thrilling” THE TELEGRAPH

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“Powerfully relevant” THE STAGE

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL 2022 Music by Elton John • Book & Lyrics by Lee Hall • Originally Directed by Stephen Daldry • Originally Choreographed by Peter Darling Director Nikolai Foster • Choreographer Lucy Hind • Musical Supervisor & Musical Director George Dyer • Set Designer Michael Taylor • Costume Designer Edd Lindley • Lighting Designer Ben Cracknell Sound Designer Adam Fisher • Props Supervisor Lizzie Frankl, Propworks • Props Assistant Sophie Haliburn, Propworks • Casting Director Kay Magson CDG • Children’s Casting Director Jo Hawes Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International: www.mtishows.co.uk

Photograph Ambra Vernuccio

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“An enchanting, awe-inspiring spectacle” ASIAN CULTURE VULTURE

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“Truly exceptional” THE STAGE

Akram Khan’s JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED 2022 Director / Choreographer Akram Khan

Creative Associate / Coach Mavin Khoo • Writer Tariq Jordan • Dramaturgical Advisor Sharon Clark • Composer Jocelyn Pook • Sound Designer Gareth Fry • Lighting Designer Michael Hulls Visual Stage Designer Miriam Buether • Art Direction and Director of Animation Adam Smith (YeastCulture) • Producer / Director of Video Design Nick Hillel (YeastCulture) Rotoscope Artists / Animators Naaman Azhari, Natasza Cetner, Edson R Bazzarin

MADE AT CURVE 

“Warm, hopeful and utterly authentic” NORTH WEST END

“Eithne Browne gives a superb depiction of the bewilderment brought on by Alzheimer’s in Francis Poet’s sharp-witted play” THE GUARDIAN

Photograph Zoe Martin

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“Funny, furious and moving look at dementia’s impact” THE STAGE

MAGGIE MAY 2022 A Curve, Leeds Playhouse and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Co-Production Writer Frances Poet • Director Jemima Levick • Set and Costume Designer Francis O’Connor • Lighting Designer Chris Davey • Composer and Sound Designer Claire McKenzie • Casting Director Kay Magson CDG Theatre and Dementia Advisor Nicky Taylor • Movement Director Joseph Mercier • Associate Designer Alex Doidge-Green • Dialect Coach Eleanor Manners

Photograph Patrick Baldwin

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“So much to watch and enjoy I often didn’t know where to look” BRITISHTHEATRE.COM

The Paradis Files 2022 Commissioned by The Stables for IF: Milton Keynes International Festival. A Graeae Theatre Company production in partnership with BBC Concert Orchestra and Curve. Composer Errollyn Wallen CBE • Director Jenny Sealey • Librettist Nicola Werenowska Co-Librettist and Original Idea Selina Mills • Musical Director and Conductor Andrea Brown

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Photograph Kieran Vyas

“The stars of the future are given a chance to shine” BEYOND THE CURTAIN

OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR 2022 A Curve and De Montfort University Co-Production Director Lilac Yosiphon • Musical Director Ben Garnett • Set and Costume Designer Eleanor Field • Lighting Designer Rhys Parker • Sound Designer Angel Rossell De Pablos

Photograph Marc Brenner

MADE AT CURVE 

“It’s sheer theatrical wizardry and far too good to miss” WHATSONSTAGE

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“A bold retelling that has style and stamina, as well as soul” CHEEKY LITTLE MATINEE

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“Under the artistic director Nikolai Foster, the Curve Theatre in Leicester has become a musical theatre powerhouse” DAILY MAIL

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“Magical, vibrant, uplifting… Nothing short of spectacular”

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“Slick and energetic” LONDONTHEATRE1

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“Full of brains, heart and courage, everything about this absolute masterpiece really is as wonderful as it gets” ALL THAT DAZZLES

LEICESTER TIMES

THE WIZARD OF OZ 2022/23 Director Nikolai Foster • Choreographer Shay Barclay • Musical Director and Musical Supervisor George Dyer • Set Designer Colin Richmond • Projection Designer Douglas O’Connell Costume and Puppet Designer Rachael Canning • Lighting Designer Ben Cracknell • Sound Designer Adam Fisher • Magic Consultant Scott Penrose • Casting Director Kay Magson CDG Music by Harold Arlen • Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg • Additional Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber • Additional Lyrics by Tim Rice • Adaption by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams Orchestrations by David Cullen • Orchestrations adapted by George Dyer • From the book by L. Frank Baum Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and produced with the permission of Warner Bros. and EMI Music Publishing By arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd

Sponsored by

Photograph Manuel Harlan

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“Just divine! A habit worth getting into”

“A heavenly revival” INDEPENDENT

DAILY MAIL

SISTER ACT 2022 Producers Whoopi Goldberg & Jamie Wilson • Composer Alan Menken • Lyricist Glenn Slater • Book Writers Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner • Additional Book Material Douglas Carter Beane Director Bill Buckhurst • Choreographer Alistair David • Set and Costume Designer Morgan Large • Musical Supervisor Stephen Brooker • Lighting Designer Tim Mitchell • Sound Designer Tom Marshall Musical Associate Jae Alexander • Musical Director Neil MacDonald • Casting Director Stuart Burt CDG Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture “Sister Act” written by Joseph Howard Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) Ltd

Photography Kieran Vyas

MADE AT CURVE FINDING HOME: LEICESTER’S UGANDAN ASIAN STORY AT 50 “These specially commissioned pieces movingly and unflinchingly reflect the experiences of Ugandan refugees in Britain” THE OBSERVER

“A powerful coming together of stories from our local communities being told on our local stages” NOT EXACTLY BILLINGTON

“Informative, creative and great fun… my 10 year old thought it was ‘brilliant’”

“I can’t remember the last time I was this taken back by live theatre”

AUDIENCE MEMBER ON RUKA

AMINATA KAMARA

“Incredibly emotional and powerful” RUPAL RAJANI

FINDING HOME: RUKA 2022 Writer Chandni Mistry • Director Mandeep Glover Set and Costume Designer Eleanor Field Choreographer Kesha Raithatha Lighting Designer Rhys Parker Sound Designer Jack Harper

FINDING HOME: CALL ME BY MY NAME 2022 Writer Dilan Raithatha • Director Mandeep Glover Set and Costume Designer Eleanor Field Choreographer Kesha Raithatha Lighting Designer Rhys Parker Sound Designer James Simpson

FINDING HOME: NINETY DAYS 2022 Writer Ashok Patel • Director Mandeep Glover Set and Costume Designer Eleanor Field Choreographer Kesha Raithatha Lighting Designer Rhys Parker Sound Designer James Simpson

Photograph Tristram Kenton

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“Urgent, abrasive and thrilling” THE GUARDIAN

Shakespeare’s OTHELLO 2022 A Frantic Assembly Production, Co-Produced with Curve Adaptation Scott Graham & Steven Hoggett • Director Scott Graham • Set Designer Laura Hopkins Original Lighting Designer (2008 version) Natasha Chivers • Further Original Lighting Designs (2014 version Andy Purves • Music Hybrid • Original Sound Designer Gareth Fry Associate Costumer Designer Alice McNicholas • Co-Choreographer Perry Johnson

CURVE ON TOUR

Flying the flag for Curve and Leicester across the UK and around the globe

During 2022/23 we successfully toured across the UK and internationally, working with both commercial and subsidised partners, across all scales and engaging over 840,500 people. In April 2022 we co-produced the world premiere of THE PARADIS FILES with disabled-led theatre company Graeae, which was the company’s first ever chamber opera. The production opened at Curve and subsequently toured to five cities across the country. All performances creatively integrated British Sign Language (BSL), captioning and audio description and Graeae went on to win the UK Theatre Award for Excellence in Touring for their work. Curve Associates Akram Khan Company returned to Curve with the world premiere of JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED, a new adaptation of the much-loved story by Rudyard Kipling. With a new sense of urgency and focus on climate crises, Akram reinterpreted this wellknown story through the lens of today’s children. The show toured internationally to 12 countries, including France, Spain, China and Uzbekistan, as well as the Edinburgh International Festival in the UK, reaching just under 67,000 audience members.

Originally scheduled to open in 2020, the Curve co-commissioned production of Aakash Odedra’s SAMSARA finally played in our theatre at the beginning of October 2022. The Leicester born artist teamed up with Chinese dance legend Hu Shenyuan and musical star Nicki Wells to create this world-premiere production which received a terrific response at the Edinburgh International Festival. In addition, our co-production of Frantic Assembly’s critically acclaimed OTHELLO completed a near-sell-out season, with a highly charged and arresting interpretation of Shakespeare’s great play electrifying audiences – including over 1,600 young people and teachers in Leicester. The show was seen by 45,000 people across ten cities with an average attendance of 78% across the tour.

England and Wales Tour THE COLOR PURPLE

Directed by Tinuke Craig Revival Director Lakesha Arie-Angelo Photograph Manuel Harlan

We also continued to tour large-scale musicals across the year. Our actor-musician co-production of the hugely successful BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL wrapped in Oxford, having played over 200 shows to more than 98,000 audience members, across 22 venues since opening at Curve early 2022. We were incredibly proud to take our award-winning production of THE COLOR PURPLE on the first ever tour of England and Wales, visiting Birmingham, Plymouth, Northampton, Salford, Cardiff, Southampton and Norwich. Co-produced by Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome, the tour was made possible with the support of an Arts Council England National Lottery grant. THE COLOR PURPLE generated significant first-time attendance across the seven theatres, laying foundations for lesser-known musicals on the large-scale touring circuit to thrive. We’re thrilled to have offered a wide range of learning opportunities and access performances across the tour, including integrated BSL.

SISTER ACT completed its successful six-week run at the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, in which time the show sold over 143,000 seats and saw Clive Rowe nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. The co-production, led by Jamie Wilson Productions, went on tour to sell-out runs in Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Belfast, Woking, and Liverpool. Average capacity on tour was 86%, making it one of the most successful productions for regional theatre across the country in 2022. The production has now been extended into 2024. Our Made at Curve production of WHITE CHRISTMAS was remounted for the festive season with a National tour comprising 54 performances, seen by over 47,000 people across the country from Cornwall to Sunderland. The show also enjoyed a four-week Christmas run at the Liverpool Empire.

CURVE ON TOUR

National Tour Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS

UK Tour SISTER ACT

Photograph Ellie Kurttz

Photograph Manuel Harlan

Dominion Theatre, London GREASE THE MUSICAL

Curve, Edinburgh International Festival and Sadler's Wells SAMSARA

Photograph Manuel Harlan

Photograph Nirvair Singh Rai

Directed by Nikolai Foster

Directed by Bill Buckhurst

Aakash Odedra Company

International Tour JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED

UK Tour THE PARADIS FILES

Photograph Ambra Vernuccio

Photograph Patrick Baldwin

UK Tour BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

National Tour OTHELLO

Photograph Ellie Kurttz

Photograph Tristram Kenton

Akram Khan Company

Directed by Nikolai Foster

Directed by Jenny Sealey

Frantic Assembly

VISITING PRODUCTIONS Welcoming a diverse programme of work to our stages

THE CHER SHOW

SCHOOL OF ROCK

CHESS (National Youth Music Theatre)

Photograph Pamela Raith

Photograph Paul Coltas

Photograph Tom Wren

MOTHER GOOSE

ANNIE

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

Photograph Manuel Harlan

Photograph Matt Crockett

Photograph Mark Douet

Directed by Arlene Phillips

Directed by Cal McCrystal

Directed by Laurence Connor

Directed by Nikolai Foster

Directed by Alex Sutton

Directed by Stephen Daldry

MAMMA MIA!

BROWN GIRLS DO IT TOO

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE

Photograph Brinkhoff/Moegenburg

Photograph Mark Senior

Photograph Brinkhoff/Moegenburg

WASTELAND

NOUGHTS & CROSSES

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR CHRISTMAS SHOW

Photograph Joe Armitage

Photograph Robert Day

Photograph Pamela Raith

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd

Choreographed by Gary Clarke

Directed by Sam Hodges & Aneesha Srinivasan

Directed by Esther Richardson

Directed by Katy Rudd

Created by Jonathan Rockefeller

LEARNING Supporting teaching, learning and youth engagement in the arts Across the year 30,000 participants engaged with our Creative Programme offer for schools, colleges and universities, community groups, young people, families, elders and artists.

Neighbour-Hubs This year our Neighbour–Hubs programme launched across five areas of the city; New Parks, Saffron, Braunstone, Evington and Highfields & St. Matthews. In each locality we set the foundations for long-term creative collaborations with education providers and community partners to ensure everyone living in a ‘Hub’ area has access to the work of our theatre. In the last year, we established partnerships with five secondary schools and delivered a range of projects and initiatives including in-school workshops led by Curve practitioners, work placements and backstage tours. At the end of the school year, each Neighbour-Hub school group performed on stage at Curve for an invited audience of friends, families and teachers. We also worked with over 270 participants from Special Education Schools in our Neighbour-Hub areas, delivering creative workshops, as well as supporting students to achieve their Explore Arts Award qualification. Over the course of the year there were more than 3,700 instances of people taking part in Neighbour-Hubs activity led by Curve practitioners across 212 sessions.

“The scholars at CMA have benefitted greatly from taking part in the programme. They have developed their performance skills, confidence, communication, empathy and overall passion for the performing arts as well as being given the opportunity to see live theatre (for some, this was the first time they’d been to the theatre) and experience the rehearsal process of putting on a professional performance. For me as a teacher, I have been inspired by the activities and rehearsal processes used in the sessions and have even used some of them in my own teaching.” Lauren Gaisford, Lead Teacher of Drama, Castle Mead Academy

Photography Kieran Vyas

CYCC (Curve Youth and Community Companies) Young people aged 5 – 18 years old met regularly at Curve to develop skills, have fun, and gain an understanding of the theatre industry. In addition to weekly sessions led by artists and practitioners, CYCC participants took part in a range of performances including ALICE IN WONDERLAND, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, FOOTLOOSE and our acclaimed production of BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL. CYCC in numbers • 390 CYCC participants took part in regular classes • 12 CYCC classes in Acting, Dancing and Musical Theatre ran every week in term-time • 5 CYCC Neighbour-Hub Drama clubs ran every week in term-time at city schools • 1 CYCC Technical Theatre Course ran for 10 weeks • 9 public performances featuring CYCC participants • Over the year we offered 51 bursary places to CYCC participants to ensure finances were not a barrier to taking part, with five of these bursary places made available thanks to support from The Martin Trust. Sponsorship from our friends at PPL PRS, enabled us to offer all CYCC Neighbour-Hub sessions free-of charge for all 140 participants. “Being granted a bursary means so much to our family, it’s given my children stability and confidence. Curve has kept their minds off their mum being very ill and let them grow. My children and my family are very grateful for the achievements and experiences Curve has given them. Curve is like an extended family; I feel confident that they are safe and happy in a loving environment. Thank you for supporting our family.” CYCC parent

Schools and Universities 436 schools and colleges attended performances and participated in activities led by Curve throughout the year. We welcomed over 350 school trips to Curve across the year, with performances of Frantic Assembly’s OTHELLO, AN INSPECTOR CALLS, THE WIZARD OF OZ and the National Theatre’s THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE proving particularly popular. Many students had never been to Curve before and were experiencing live theatre for the first time. We hosted 6 Theatre Days for our Made at Curve and co-produced shows, with cast and creative members sharing the performance making process with just under 1,000 people. Curve’s strategic partnership with De Montfort University went from strength-to-strength with 52 students taking part in performances, workshops and work placements at Curve. We also had the honour of hosting DMU Graduation Ceremonies, which saw over 6,500 students graduate at Curve over the course of the year. Curve’s Community production of FINDING HOME: LEICESTER’S UGANDAN ASIAN STORY AT 50 was sponsored by the University of Leicester, and 12 students also participated in a digital module drawing inspiration from the performances to create work based-on the theme of migration. Speak Up We delivered the first year of Speak Up as part of the National Theatre-led Theatre Nation Partnerships. Through creative sessions led by Curve practitioners, Speak Up aims to provide a voice for young people to talk about, and interrogate, the issues that matter to them. In the last, year 140 young people from five local schools took part in 91 sessions in-school and at Curve.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Creative experiences for everyone “I feel more confident and open minded to other people’s thoughts and ideas.”

An extensive Community Engagement programme was rolled out across our five Neighbour-Hub areas, with workshops taking place in care homes, libraries, memory cafés and SEN settings. Working in partnership with Age UK and Anchor Housing, our Community Practitioner delivered nearly 100 free dance, music and storytelling workshops for 848 elderly people living in care homes. In partnership with Virtual Schools and spoken word poet and care-leaver Ty’rone Haughton, we engaged 19 young people living in care and care leavers through creative sessions across the year. Virtual Schools participants also enjoyed performances at Curve and took part in workshops to support their engagement with Discover Arts Award. Throughout the year we continued to host weekly free and lowcost community workshops at Curve. Led by Curve Associate Companies Moving Together, Sidekick Dance and Kainé Choir over 3960 people took part in 370 sessions in our theatre. We also launched our new weekly programme of Little Curve workshops for babies ensuring there is always something for all ages running at Curve! “It’s so important for people living with dementia to feel connected to the wider community and I know they feel a sense of pride in their connection with Curve Theatre.” Ruth Coward, Training, Learning and Group Coordinator, Age UK Leicester Photograph Kieran Vyas

“Curve is cool for many things, dancing, singing, acting, performing arts. I love Curve! I would be happy to attend more stuff here.” Participant feedback from Virtual Schools, supporting young people living in care. 23 adults aged 18+ also took part in Curve Community Company sessions, with courses run by Curve creative practitioners throughout the year. We also partnered with organisations across the city including Curve Associate company Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, Spark and Inspirate to celebrate and mark important events and festivals across the year, including Black History Month, An Indian Summer and The Spark Arts Children's Festival which was curated by local school children. We also continued to programme regular Community Days of workshops, exhibitions, performances and storytelling sessions which engaged just under 2,000 people throughout the year. “The Charnwood members LOVED it this morning – I knew they would, it’s a great group. Thanks for all your hard work and energy – the feedback was great from this morning” Training, Learning and Group Co Ordinator, Age UK

Photograph Kieran Vyas

Photograph Jonathan Pryke

Photograph Pamela Raith

Photograph Kieran Vyas

NEW WORK Investing in talent across the region AND ARTIST DEVELOPMENT In the last year over 1,100 creatives, theatre-makers, practitioners and artists from the Midlands took part in Artist Development sessions, projects and performances at Curve. Our artists include those who identify as early career or leaving education, through to those who are established and experienced professionals. We also engaged with local artists through our free Curve Connect membership scheme which is open to all professional practitioners living and working in the region. We now have over 300 active Curve Connect members who can benefit from free rehearsal space, free and discounted tickets and support through 1-1 meetings with Curve staff. Through our ongoing partnership with De Montfort University, we presented OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR, directed by RYTDS Resident Assistant Director Lilac Yosiphon. OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR is our 11th co-production with De Montfort University and each year students are able to gain hands-on experience of the processes involved in creating a show for our stages. Over three months, 18 Drama students worked alongside professional practitioners and Curve team members to present a fully-realised public production. This year our annual New Work Festival 2023 engaged 44 artists and over 200 participants. Highlights included TAKE FLIGHT, an aerial show for 0-18 month-olds by Curve Resident Creatives The Gramophones and NO DRINKS ON THE DANCE FLOOR, an exhibition piece by State of Flux billed as a love letter to club culture in Leicester. Our 23 Curve Resident Creatives have gone from strength to strength this year with over a third having been successful in obtaining Arts Council England funding for development activity or performance projects. We also supported SHEWOLVES Productions, who took their inaugural production, SHE WOLVES to Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the Pleasance Partnership scheme. SHE WOLVES went on to tour across the UK. In November 2022 we held the Writers’ Lab Showcase. This showcase featured the work of eight new writers, including four Graeae Beyond artists, and was attended by over 70 people. The rehearsed reading of Graeae Beyond artist Matthew Gabrielli’s Lancaster Playwright Awardwinning play FOOL’S GOLD, directed by Curve Resident Creative Samson Hawkins, was seen both in-person and online, with the performance recorded during our New Work Festival and available to stream shortly afterwards on a ‘Pay What You Can’ basis.

The Gramophones Theatre Company present

Photograph Pamela Raith

“We wouldn’t be in this position without Curve’s support in getting the show to Edinburgh last year. We’re very excited! Thanks again for supporting the show and the company, we appreciate you!” She Wolves Director, Hannah Stone

FACTS AND FIGURES Total audience attendance at Curve

Total attendance of under 26 year olds

Average attendance occupancy 75%

Number of tickets sold to first time attenders

Total tour attendance for Made at Curve productions and co-productions

Attendance from outside of Leicestershire

249,900

840,500

Total engagement through digital content

1,101,000

Number of people engaging with free activities

19,800

Annual turnover

£17,040,609

42,000 76,500 20%

81 accessible performances

We employed over 400 freelancers across all our work, paying them a total of £2,274,994 We received £2,734,124 in public funding representing 16% of our total income across the year.

programmed, including Captioned, Audio Described, Touch Tours, British Sign Language Interpreted, Relaxed and Dementia Friendly.

What our audience members say:

“This was our first visit to Curve and although we live nearly 100 miles away, we will definitely come again. It’s a magnificent venue. BILLY ELLIOT was outstanding, with all the hallmarks of a West End production, and yet it still felt like a community theatre. And I mean that as a compliment. It was fantastic to see so many local talented actors in the cast, particularly younger actors. I hope the people of Leicester appreciate this facility and the accessibility into the arts that it provides. I wish you every success and we look forward to hearing what is on at Curve in the future.”

“I just would like to highlight the magical evening my family and I all enjoyed at last evenings production of SISTER ACT. As with all our past attendances; the purchase of tickets, collection of them from the booking office, seats in the auditorium along with the quality of the production, the band and in general the whole experience is excellent. I must however complement you all on the quality and professionalism of your front of house teams and the cleanliness of the venue. Thank you and we look forward to returning again soon.”

Photograph Pamela Raith

“When booking, the customer service was so friendly, understanding and helpful. Because my husband has Alzheimer’s, they made sure that our seats were on the end of a row so we wouldn’t disturb anyone if he needed the toilet and assured us of the close proximity of double disabled toilets. The lovely welcome we received from the front of house volunteers made our visit special.”

“First visit last night, I loved the building and the theatre was very high quality and the seats were wonderful and it is now on my list of places to go and see a show as I normally go to London to see shows but Leicester is so much more accessible for me and I can’t wait to see the next show there.”

PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENT Our commitment to creating a more sustainable future for our theatre and our work Over the course of the year we also made advances with increasing our sustainability. During the year we established a ‘Green Team’ to include representation from across the theatre in order to identify environmental improvements and embed sustainability across all teams. All produced work is considered with reference to the Theatre Green Book which is used to inform and shape working practices across the business. Capital investment has been ringfenced to replace high energy lighting with low energy LED equivalents with a concentration on high-use spaces, and our theatre van has been replaced with an electric model. We have also installed an electric charging point to help encourage visiting producers to travel with electric vehicles. Curve’s Green Team 2022/23: Andy Bartlett (Director of Production) Andy Gibbs (Facilities Manager) Chris Moore (ICT Manager) Eve Wills-Wilson (Membership and Fundraising co-ordinator) Hannah Holden (Deputy Hospitality Manager) James Dainty (Head of Automation and Stage) Jude Michell (Senior Lighting Technician) Martin Pickard (Assistant Head of Automation and Stage) Phil Lisseman (Head of Buildings and Facilities) Stephen Chalmers (Head of Marketing and Sales) Thomas Preston (Visitor Experience Manager) Laura Blackley (Made at Curve Producer) Linda Dixon (Director of Finance)

Photograph Ellie Kurttz

We recycled over

220 tonnes

of metal, paper, plastic and glass.

We reduced our electricity use by more than

100,000kg CO2e from the previous year.

FUNDRAISING, MEMBERSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Photograph Pamela Raith

Over 5,500 people now get closer to Curve and support us Throughout the year our membership schemes, across all levels, grew successfully, with over 5,500 people wanting to have a closer relationship to Curve. In response to the changes we were seeing in booking patterns and ticket types, we launched a new Individual Membership in September to ensure that anyone coming to the theatre on their own could enjoy the number of benefits we have available. We would like to thank our Friends, Supporters and Business Friends whose membership includes a donation element to support Curve as a registered charity. During November, and thanks to the generous donations from our loyal supporters, we raised just under £8,000 for our annual fundraising appeal – The Andy Nairn Bursaries in Technical Theatre. The funds raised from the scheme supported Curve’s first Creative Venue Technician apprenticeship and the set-up of Curve’s Young Community Company Technical group (CYCC Tech) which offers weekly classes to individuals interested in learning the skills and experience necessary to have a career in the industry. Throughout the year, we also continued to work closely and in partnership with a number of local businesses and organisations through tailored and bespoke sponsorship packages. Our sincere thanks to De Montfort University, University of Leicester, PPL, PPL PRS, David Wilson Homes and Nelsons Solicitors for their on-going support of Curve as a registered charity.

“My experience as a Business Friend at Curve has been nothing but positive. Being able to have a world class theatre on my doorstep is a huge plus for me and I am delighted to be able to support in anyway I can. Being able to support such a great theatre that contributes hugely to Leicestershire and the local economy means that is it money well spent.”

Trust and Foundation support continued to play a vital role in helping us deliver an ambitious and accessible programme. Through the support from the Backstage Trust we were able to devise a new fundraising strategy, and continued core funding from the Headley Trust enabled us to deliver our programme for elders throughout the year. We are grateful to the Wolfson Foundation for their Sustainability Fund grant to underwrite the costs for energyefficient LED lighting, and to The Martin Trust for Young People, for supporting five bursary places in our Curve Young Community Companies. Every charitable donation made to Curve is gratefully received and helps us: Produce new Made at Curve productions, such as BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, FINDING HOME and THE WIZARD OF OZ. Support local artists through our Curve Resident Creatives, Curve Associate Artists and Curve Connect networks. Create learning and participation activities, such as our Curve Young Community Company (CYCC) and educational workshops. Engage our local communities and those new to theatre with creative programmes such as workshops and community days. THANK YOU “Curve is a cause that’s very dear to our hearts, both personally and professionally. Curve’s membership has provided us with the perfect platform to support a local theatre that not only enriches the people of Leicestershire with amazing resources and productions, but also gives our young family tremendous means and opportunities to explore their artistic and creative sides through Curve’s Young Community Companies. Having been Friends for years, Business Friend membership has provided us with the perfect next step in enabling us to increase our support.”

PEOPLE

We’re passionate about our people, and developing their skills and career pathways in our industry At the heart of Curve is our people, and we remain committed to supporting and nurturing our workforce through training and development opportunities. During this period, our team members took part in over 1,100 training sessions, delivered both in-person and online. Over this year, 12 Team Curve members from departments across the organisation have undertaken mental health first aid training. Now fully trained, these team members will provide confidential support for individuals experiencing mental health challenges. We also established a new Wellbeing Committee comprised of representatives from each department which meets monthly to review employee welfare and propose approaches to improve wellbeing. Throughout the year the group has organised two all staff days involving essential training and creative team-building activities, and curated a range of regular initiatives to encourage

staff members to take time away from their desks and enjoy social time with colleagues. We have also introduced the Culture Pass, offering permanent staff members up to £100 each year to go towards theatre tickets and travel. The safety and wellbeing of all those who engage with Curve is paramount, and we have two designated Safeguarding Officers who lead on ensuring the safety of vulnerable individuals in our theatre. All staff also participate in safeguarding training during their induction period. We are proud to be an inclusive organisation, and we advertise vacancies at Curve across platforms such as the Job Centre, Indeed, Diversity Dashboard and Disability Arts Online platforms to encourage more applications from those with disabilities and from wider socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

OUR WORKFORCE Over the year our staff members have taken part in training and development courses including: Action Counter Terrorism training Anti Bribery Control of Substances Hazardous to Health training Cyber Security Awareness Deaf Awareness training Dementia Awareness Designated Safeguarding Officer training Driver Awareness Environmental Awareness Equality Diversity and Inclusion training Fire Awareness First Aid Training and refresher training Photograph Matthew Cawrey

Fraud Prevention GDPR training Health and Safety Essentials International Powered Access Federation Operator training LGBTQ+ Awareness workshop Manual Handling Mental Health Awareness Mental Health First Aid Neurodiversity training Passport to Leadership Safeguarding Awareness training Sexual Harassment Awareness Stress Awareness Working at Height

Diversity of Staff Comparison 2022/23 White British Any other White background Indian/Pakistani Black Caribbean/African Arab Chinese Mixed Prefer not to say Percentage of staff who identify as LGBTQ+ Percentage of staff who identify as being either deaf or disabled, or having a long term health impairment Percentage of staff who identify as neurodiverse Percentage of staff who identify as male Percentage of staff who identify as female Percentage of staff who identify as non-binary Percentage of staff who prefer not to say

2022 79.1% 7.0% 7.0% 2.3% 1.1% 1.1% 2.3% 0.1% 19%

2023 76% 9% 5% 4.3% 1.0% 0.6% 2.7% 1.3% 19%

12% 12% 46% 51% 2% 1%

16% 14% 46% 52% 0% 2%

Photographs Ellie Kurttz

THANK YOU PRINCIPAL FUNDERS

Curve is a Registered Charity (230708)