Where there’s a Will…

Tue 21 Oct, 2025

Theatre has always thrived on generosity and community. The word charity comes from the Latin caritas, meaning love, care, and kindness. For centuries, theatre has embodied this spirit, bringing people together to nurture creativity, education, and shared experience.

Supporting the Arts at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Investing in and supporting the arts is more than funding entertainment. It fosters creativity, strengthens community, preserves cultural heritage, and gives future generations access to the transformative power of theatre. Every contribution, whether large or small, sustains the bold and imaginative work that happens on our stage and behind the scenes. 

A Welcoming Way to Give 

To make supporting the theatre as inviting as possible, we wanted a donation point that is visible, welcoming, and fun. Rather than simply asking for money, we aimed to create something interesting, accessible, and eye-catching for everyone who enters our front of house area. 

The project began with one of our volunteers, an incredible artist, who created a beautiful illustration of Shakespeare that perfectly captures the spirit of the theatre and how we want to celebrate the generosity of our audiences. His design will be the heart of the donation point, bringing warmth, character, and a touch of playfulness. 

“I was delighted to have the opportunity to work on a project that brought together the ideas of the Fundraising team with my own. It has been a successful outcome and a strong model to build on for the future. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would be more than happy to collaborate on future projects with SNP.” (Mike Gaffney) 

Working with our print partners, the illustration has been turned into a vibrant vinyl sticker and applied to a wooden board cut out. 

Another talented volunteer, who has built many features around the theatre including a community seed box in the garden, will help finish the wooden cut out. The board will host both a digital donation machine and a moneybox for cash contributions, giving visitors multiple ways to support the theatre. 

The result is more than a donation point. It’s a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and community spirit. From artistic vision to skilled craftsmanship, this feature reflects the values at the heart of Shakespeare North Playhouse and reminds us that supporting the arts is something we can all take part in, whether through money, time, knowledge, or creative ideas.