Local schoolchildren enjoying theatre they created themselves with a little help from Ropetackle.

Part of our commitment to building a 21st century theatre for all to enjoy. 

Over 19 years, Ropetackle has grown from humble beginnings into a vibrant hub for arts and culture in Adur and beyond. Today, there is rarely a day or evening without a live show, film, class, workshop or talk, and more than 50,000 people visit us every year.

We’ve welcomed some of the biggest names in music and comedy, while reaching people of all ages and backgrounds, from babies and toddlers to those living in care homes, and everyone in between.

But after years of public funding pressures and little capital investment, our building is now in need of a substantial upgrade. Our energy infrastructure is inefficient, heating and air conditioning have become increasingly unreliable, and our current capacity limits the types of shows we can programme.

That’s why we’re delighted to have been awarded £371,278 from Arts Council England’s Creative Foundations Fund. 🎉

Ropetackle is one of just 130 cultural venues, museums and libraries to receive a share of the £127.8m national funding boost, alongside organisations including the Dome in Brighton, the Lowry Arts Centre and the RSC.

In addition to the grant, Ropetackle is committing a further £151,604 from our own reserves to make the project happen.

For reasons relating to the leasing arrangement of the Centre, the bid was submitted on our behalf by Adur & Worthing Council and we are immensely grateful to the Council for the support it is providing in enabling us to deliver the project. The Council is however not funding the works.

This investment will help us create a better, more sustainable and accessible venue, improve the experience for everyone who visits and increase our capacity to contribute to the local economy.

As well as providing a year-round programme of top level professional performance, it is central to our ethos to nurture new artists, champion local talent, bring people together and inspire creativity. We create spaces where people can laugh, cry, learn, connect, be challenged and be inspired.

This is an exciting new chapter for Ropetackle. We want to continue driving social, cultural and economic change and making a difference in our community.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. We can’t wait to start our new chapter.