Theatres Trust

Theatres Trust is committed to diversity and inclusion in our work, with inclusion being one of the four pillars of our new three-year business plan. In order to support theatres to be more inclusive and accessible, serving the needs of all communities, we recognise we need to be more diverse and inclusive ourselves. We have made some progress in this area in recent years including improving the diversity of our board and undertaking EDI training with our whole staff and board team, but we know there is still more work to be done.

We were excited to be selected as a host organisation for the pilot programme for the Boardroom Apprentice scheme and were delighted to be matched with Manpreet Gil. We have benefitted enormously from having Manpreet taking part in our Board and Executive Committee meetings and attending our EDI training day. Manpreet has brought a fresh perspective to our work and organisational practices, drawing on both her personal background and her career experience. She has made invaluable contributions in all of the meetings she has attended, asking interesting questions and challenging our thinking in ways that existing board members may not have done. 

This first year has been such a success, even exceeding our expectations, that we are keen to take part in the Boardroom Apprentice scheme again. As a friendly and dynamic organisation that ‘punches above its weight’, we will provide a supportive environment for someone to learn about being a board member, where their opinions and experiences will be encouraged and valued. The apprentice will be joining us at a crucial time for the theatre sector and will have an opportunity to make a real difference to our work.