Theatr Iolo awarded £22,000 by the Postcode Community Trust to run inspiring theatre project with young people in Newport.

The children’s theatre company, Theatr Iolo, will run Playhouse Cymru for six local primary schools in the next academic year. The project which will enable children to perform a play, written by a professional playwright, on the main stage at The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre.

Playhouse Cymru has been running since 2018, but due to increased running costs, the project was at risk of not being able to go ahead in 2025/26. Thanks to the funding awarded by Postcode Community Trust and raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, 180 young people aged 8-11 will now take part in this unique project which connects schools with professional theatres, writers and theatre makers.

“Thank you to all the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery for the money they have raised. The funding we have received from the Postcode Community Trust will make a huge difference to young people in South Wales, giving them the experience of developing, rehearsing and performing a play in a professional theatre.”     
Michelle Perez, Executive Director at Theatr Iolo

“Many of our cast are complete newcomers to the world of theatre. It is fantastic for them to be involved in this wonderful project, experience a real working theatre and see all the behind-the-scenes action!”   

Teacher from a school that previously participated in Playhouse

Playhouse Cymru is part of a wider UK collaboration between Theatr Iolo, Theatre Royal Plymouth and York Theatre Royal. These organisations work together to commission professional playwrights each year to write short plays specifically for large casts of young people to perform.

Schools interested in taking part in Playhouse Cymru 2025/26 can email hello@theatriolo.com for more information about how to get involved. The project is open to all state-maintained schools in Wales who are able to travel to the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre in Newport. Participating schools will be given a selection of plays to choose from, in both Welsh and English.