Theatre Nation Partnership

Sunderland Culture’s sixth year as a member of National Theatre’s Theatre Nation Partnership has seen involvement in a number of initiatives including Speak Up, the National Theatre’s schools tour of The Left Behinds and the development of its second Public Acts project – a 3-way partnership between Sunderland Culture, Sunderland Empire and the National Theatre.

Part of Public Acts which was destined to reach a fantastic culmination in April 2025, 2024-25 saw the genesis of this project starting with a series of engagement workshops delivered throughout the summer and autumn for community groups in the city including Back on the Map, Sunderland Nigerian Families Group and Connect Company as well as welcoming back The Odyssey participants returning for this new project.

Project leaders embarked on a lengthy research and development period, meeting key artists in Sunderland and the wider region and developing the concept for a new production called Public Record resulting in a performed love letter to the city told through its music and dance. Rehearsals ran from January to the end of March, initially involving the core company of 52 people gradually being added to by other community groups and local artists with the final cast reaching almost 100.

The journey so far has, undoubtedly, made me more confident to be myself and to make new friends…Public Record made me feel welcomed in this city. I don’t feel like a stranger here, there is a strong sense of belongingness – and I absolutely love it.

Angelica, Public Acts participant

Speak Up is a National Theatre secondary school programme that sees young people working in collaboration with local artists and teachers to co-create artistic responses to issues that are most important to them.

Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire have delivered Speak Up together since 2021, working with over 300 young people across 5 schools; Barbara Priestman Academy, Beacon of Light, Hetton Academy, Oxclose Academy and Thornhill Academy, with lead teachers and senior leadership being at the core of the project. This year in Speak Up we have worked with over 150 young people across more than 60 sessions.

To celebrate the end of the second year of the project, young people from all five of our secondary schools came together with 12 local artists to share their artwork, what they have been inspired by and what they had to say. Each group transformed a space in the Sunderland Empire to represent themselves, speak up about matters they felt important, exhibit their artwork and run live workshops and demonstrations with their favourite artists and artforms. Topics explored included mental health, environment, identity and opportunity. We were delighted to be joined by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness at the celebration event.

I love Speak Up! It lets me express myself and I get to work with really cool artists and do things I never thought I would do.

Speak Up participant

Sunderland Culture Annual Review 2024-25