The campaign looks to end class inequality in theatre.
The Aardent Theatre company has announced the launch of a 10-Year manifesto for change which is a mission to end class inequality in theatre.
The goal of the campaign is to to achieve at least 50% of creatives working in theatre
and 50% of audiences who will identify as, or were raised, working class.
Ardent was inspired by the first-hand experiences of its founders Mark Sands and Andrew Muir of growing up in working-class families in the provinces and combating practical socio-economic and geographic barriers to forge a career in an industry that seemed only accessible to the privileged few.
Talking about the news, Mark Sands and Andrew Muir said: “Without urgent action, working-class actors, writers, and audiences will continue to disappear from the industry. Plays will go unwritten, performances unseen, and theatres themselves will grow increasingly disconnected from the diverse society they are meant to serve. The cost of inaction is a hollowed-out, elitist sector – and a loss of the powerful, authentic stories only working-class creatives can tell.”
The aim of the company and its newly announced manifesto is to:
- Create opportunities for working class creatives to connect with potential employers.
- Bridge the gap between university actor training and drama school.
- Increase paid opportunities for working-class actors.
- Influence the sector to increase employability for working-class creatives.
- Remove barriers that stop working-class audiences from going to the theatre
Each year, the Ardent Theatre Company produces new plays giving opportunity for working class youngsters from the regions to perform in the capital for the first time.
In 2026, the company will produce four 70-minute new plays written by four working-class playwrights – Florence Espeut-Nickless, Shahid Iqbal Khan, Kelly Jones and Diana Nneka Atuona – who are based in four different regions around the country (Southwest, Northwest, East and Greater London) working under the umbrella title Our Country Now. The plays will rehearse for three weeks in each region with a local director, actors and stage manager followed by a five-week run in London at Southwark Playhouse and a three-week regional tour.
To find out more about the company visit: https://www.ardenttheatre.co.uk/