The Big Give 2024

THE BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE 2024 IS COMING SOON!

Until then you can support our arts education activity for young people by making a donation here:

The Big Give Christmas Challenge is a week-long event that takes place every year to help charities (like us!) raise money. For every donation we receive during the challenge week, The Big Give will double it at no extra cost.

At Bristol Old Vic, we believe culture has a vital role to play in society. For our Big Give campaign this year, we are raising money for a project that aims to tackle the inequality of access to creative opportunities in Bristol.

Our Young Company City (YCC) project allows Bristol Old Vic practitioners to deliver free weekly drama sessions to schools and community groups across Bristol. We focus on engaging areas of Bristol with limited access to arts and arts education, particularly in neighbourhoods experiencing multiple deprivation including Hartcliffe, Ashley Ward, and Southmead (according to data from Bristol City Council).

Participants will take part in tailored workshops in their communities working towards a performance on the main stage at Bristol Old Vic.

Why are projects like this important?

By providing fully funded sessions, we remove social economic and geographic barriers to participation and engagement with theatre. As well as developing key skills such as communication, teamwork, and collaboration, the project also offers routes into Bristol Old Vic’s talent pathways and the creative industries, supporting the sector’s sustainability and developing our audience.

See how your Big Give donations help:

£6 – Covers the cost of workshop materials for one community session.
£10 – Buys refreshments for everyone attending a session.
£20 – Pays for a student to watch Romeo and Juliet.
£50 – Pays for a backstage group tour.
£70 – Covers creative leader fees for an outreach session in the community.
£100 – Covers the production budget for props and costume.
£500 – Covers coach hire for the performance day.
£1000 – Feeds all the students for a day at the theatre.

DONATE via The Big Give website

Your donation to the Big Give is unrestricted and may be used to cover core costs involved in the delivery of our Engagement work at Bristol Old Vic.

THE IMPACT OF YOUNG COMPANY CITY

The positive impact of the arts on wellbeing is beyond doubt. We know that arts and cultural activity along with an arts education equips people of all ages with valuable skills and knowledge, supports personal development and fosters social cohesion. For some it is provides an essential precursor to flourishing careers in the arts, for most it provides a fulfilling creative intervention, the impact of which lasts a lifetime.

We will expand our programme focusing on areas of Bristol where we’ve historically had limited engagement, including South Bristol whilst continuing to work in East and Central Bristol. As always, our programmes will target those who are in most need, with a strategy to maximise our impact and inspire change, one story at a time.

It's not an exaggeration to say that the students’ lives have changed as a result of YCC. The programme is exceptional, reaching the most vulnerable youth in the city and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, or privilege can experience the transformative power of the theatre.
Roxanne Butler, Programme Manager City Of Bristol College

YOUNG COMPANY CITY

For info on the sessions

INTERACT

All the ways you can get involved