We are a thriving, York based, community theatre and social hub, hiring out our space and facilities to groups and individuals, and providing a venue for social activities and meetings likely to benefit the communities we serve.
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The Joseph Rowntree Theatre is a registered charity serving the people of York and North Yorkshire. A Grade II listed theatre, it was built by the Rowntree Village Trust in 1935. It is the only remaining Rowntree building still used for its original purpose - a place for recreation and entertainment.
Today, a volunteer board of 14 trustees manages the theatre, supported by over 170 volunteers working across all areas, from stage crew to box office, fundraising and marketing.
It is a proscenium theatre, with 365 seats and full stage facilities, including the ability to fly scenery.
The Joseph Rowntree Theatre already has a special place in the hearts of many people in York – it’s a unique facility. But now we want to reach out further and open up our premises, both in terms of the building and people who use our facilities.
We are evolving our theatre into a vibrant community hub and creating new and exciting opportunities for more local people to get involved. Whilst the performing arts remain at the heart of what we do, we passionately believe that by opening up our theatre, more people from our neighbouring communities and across the City of York will be excited and inspired.
Our theatre roofs are in great need of attention. The main roof has been untouched apart from minor work since 1935, and it is leaking. The fly tower roof has failed and needs replacing. As part of the remedial work we are taking the opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint by installing solar panels and converting interior lighting to LED.
With your help this work will be completed during 2022!