Our Story

Hope Mill Theatre was the dream of couple Joseph Houston and William Whelton. After training and building a career in theatre and time spent living in London, they were inspired by the highly regarded Off West End Theatres and small producing venues which dominate the London theatre scene. Hope Mill Theatre officially opened its doors in November of 2015, and has become one of the most successful and reputable independent venues in England – winning Fringe Venue of The Year at The Stage awards in 2018.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to enrich, educate and entertain our community by providing a uniquely superior theatre experience; allowing both audiences and artists alike to be inspired, ambitious and to share stories and enlighten lives through the power of theatre.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to create a safe and inclusive home for both audiences and artists to fulfil their full potential and share experiences and human stories through new writing, educational work, classic texts and musicals.; whilst always providing a nurturing environment where everyone is valued and fully supported to fulfil their creativity.

Factory of Creativity CIO

Charity Number: 1183251

Hope Mill Theatre has moved from private ownership to a registered charity ‘A Factory of Creativity’. The charity will continue to be called Hope Mill Theatre, with Whelton and Houston continuing in the roles of Executive Director and Artistic Director respectively. A board of trustees, made up of individuals who have supported the venue since it opened, will help support and guide the charity as it moves forward.

“Hope Mill Theatre is now in a very crucial stage of its journey with many exciting opportunities, as well as an ever-evolving and developing local landscape. We, along with our small team, recognise the importance of having the venue expand, which will allow us to focus more on nurturing new work and supporting artists.  It is our ambition to secure the venue’s home for many years to come, as well as engaging more with our community, and making our work accessible to varied audiences. We believe moving forward as a charity will allow us to achieve these ambitions.”

— Joseph Houston, Artistic Director

Our Team

Alex Williams

(he/him)

Development and Partnership Manager

Julia Child

Finance Officer

We would like to thank the Foyle Foundation for supporting Hope Mill Theatre’s ambition to develop and train the next generation of theatre producers.

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