Mission & Values
We empower children to navigate their world through inspirational theatre and creative experiences.
We improve children’s lives, bringing communities together, and creating ground-breaking theatre.
Our Values are:
Child-centred – placing children at the heart of everything Polka does
Community – engaging our diverse communities of children, families, educationalists and artists
Excellent – pioneering, adventurous, offering the highest quality
Memorable – creating magical, meaningful experiences
Inclusive – welcoming, accessible, nurturing, supportive, representative
Our Impact
Between April 2023 – March 2024:
- Over 125,000 individual children and adults experienced Polka’s work
- There were approximately 11,500 visits to our free play areas
- We created 9 productions and co-productions and welcomed 16 top visiting theatre companies – taking one of our Early Years productions to Visioni festival in Bologna
- Over 20,000 people participated in our Creative Learning programmes, across 1,219 events
- 4,000+ children attended school workshops
- 112 individual volunteers gave their time through our formal volunteering programme, with 5,450 hours volunteered
- We delivered 34 adapted shows (10 BSL, 6 Audio Described, 3 Captioned, 15 Relaxed)
- We gave out 8,143 tickets for free via our Curtain Up!, Polka Invites and Community Projects funded schemes
- 31,553.4kWh were generated from our solar panels
Our Building
We have re-imagined what a dedicated children’s theatre could and should be for young audiences and their families. Our state-of the-art building is a vibrant hub for future generations, right at the heart of our community.
Designed by architects Foster Wilson Size, our building is both a centre for play and a world-class theatre facility.
Features include:
- Adventure Theatre for Early Years audiences
- Main Theatre for young audiences
- Clore Learning Studio
- Y C Chan Play Den
- The Nest – our rehearsal and community space
- Outdoor play area
- Multi-sensory garden
- Family friendly café
- Dressing up and book corner
We can’t wait to welcome a whole new generation to our theatre.
Greening Our Building
Our recent redevelopment has included a range of environmental improvements including solar panels on the roof, improved thermal efficiency and LED lights throughout. Following our reopening we are continuing to improve the sustainability of the older parts of the building that did not form part of our redevelopment project – most recently installing 30kWp more solar PV on our main roof in June 2022.
We are fundraising for our ‘phase 2’ capital project which will include electrical upgrades to improve energy usage, a new electric van and advanced heating technologies that increase thermal efficiency.
Child Protection Policy
As a venue dedicated to children, the safety and protection of children are paramount. Our Board of Trustees and all staff employed by Polka Theatre have a duty of care to children and young people who visit our theatre and attend our activities. We recognise our commitment to safeguard and promote children’s welfare and follow a policy of best practice that protects them.
People
Meet our team of staff, trustees, advisory council and patrons
