house is a new initiative designed to increase audiences and improve the range, quality and scale of theatre presented across South East and Eastern England. We will do this by building the relationships between venues and companies, investing in touring and identifying shared ambitions amongst venues to commission new work for particular audiences. Supported by Arts Council England, house is led by a steering group of eight venues across the two regions: Brighton Dome and Festival; Farnham Maltings; Corn Exchange, Newbury; New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth; Oxford Playhouse; South Street, Reading; The Point, Eastleigh; and Theatre Royal, Margate.

house launched on April 1^st 2012, and since then 101 venues and 182 companies have registered on our website to engage with the project. We are building the relationships between venues, theatre companies and their audiences through our website, which includes a directory of work available to tour and information about new opportunities and discussions.

house is venue led – when a venue signs up we ask them to complete a short questionnaire, gathering data on what they currently book and what they would like to be able to programme. The first house tours in Autumn 2012 includes four productions, each chosen to meet the demands of the venues based in the South East and Eastern regions. For these we cover the company’s fee for each performance and agree a box office split with the venue.

Other house initiatives include:

• We’ve been working with venues to identify the gaps in their provision and have instigated the first house commission for a new piece of contemporary classic theatre to respond to that challenge. This commission is worth £35,000.

• We’re taking 30 venue programmers from the house regions to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to see and discuss work. We will be hosting a networking event open to all whilst at the festival, on Wednesday 22^nd August.

• We’re organising a one-day event on 22^nd November for venue programmers based in the South East and East. This will provide the chance to meet peers, explore what challenges and opportunities exist, and the ways in which house can support their ambitions.

• We are continually building relationships with others who share our ambitions regionally, nationally and internationally. This includes conversations with international programming networks and companies who are interested in touring to the UK.

 For more information about house, contact Mark Makin, Programme Manager, at mark@housetheatre.org.uk.