Birmingham Hippodrome have launched a seven day fundraising campaign urging people to dig deep to raise £20,000 to give the gift of theatre to 3,000 young people.

To achieve this ambitious target, the theatre has joined The Big Give’s #ChristmasChallenge19, which will see all donations doubled for just seven days from the 3rd December.

The donations raised will support the Hippodrome Education Network activity, which enables young people from areas of low-social economic engagement to visit shows, participate in workshops and develop career opportunities in the creative industries. Zaylie-Dawn Wilson, Head of Learning & Participation at Birmingham Hippodrome, said:

“We work with schools to bring creativity back to the curriculum and to enable young people who have never visited the theatre before to watch live performances.

“Donations raised will help us to give the gift of live theatre to more young people and continue this crucial work which develops confidence in young people, supports their future career ambitions and most of all, inspires them.”

The Big Give matches donations through partnerships with over 20 funding champions, including Reed Foundation, The Childhood Trust, Four Acre Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. As an independent charity, Birmingham Hippodrome relies on regular support from charitable donations and sponsorship to deliver Hippodrome Projects, which is the theatre’s own curated programme of indoor and outdoor live performance, community work and transformational learning projects. Laura Smith, Director of External Relations at Birmingham Hippodrome added:

“As a charity, fundraising support is essential to help us to continue our work with young people. From the young people who have been part of our HEN network so far, over 80% have said they feel more confident in themselves, reinforcing just how much having access to arts and culture changes lives.

“I encourage everyone to donate as much or as little as they can remembering that all donations will be doubled, helping us to create even more unforgettable moments for young people!”   

Donations for the campaign can be made online at birminghamhippodrome.com/biggive.