Sheffield theatre company Stand & Be Counted has moved into a new home above Electric Studios, with two floors for performances, workshops and creative projects.
The space includes offices, a shared studio for exhibitions and installations, and a workshop area that can host performances for up to 60 people. For the company, which works with people seeking sanctuary, it means a regular place for its communities to meet, make work and share it with audiences.
Rosie MacPherson, joint CEO of Stand & Be Counted Theatre, said: “This is such an exciting prospect, because it gives us a home for our creative communities and a space to share our world of sanctuary.
“Moving into Electric Studios gives us the stability we need but also the thrill of being part of such an exciting creative community.
“There is so much history and inspiration in the fabric of the building. From this month, we will be welcoming thousands of people into the new space every year.”
Stand & Be Counted is the UK’s first theatre company of sanctuary and an associate company of Sheffield Theatres. Next year, it will take Ripples, a production based on a true story of immigration injustice, to London’s Bush Theatre and on a UK tour, with its Sheffield performances taking place at Electric Studios.
The move adds theatre to the live music, club nights and other creative activity taking shape at the former Leadmill building, with Sheffield artist Kid Acne establishing a base in the building, and Jamie Duggan announcing Electric Studios as a new home for Sheffield’s bassline community following Tank’s closure.
Nicole Jewitt, Above Electric Studios – Community and Arts Project Manager, said: “What’s exciting about SBC moving in is that it’s starting to show what we’ve talked about from the beginning, that this building can be about much more than just gigs and club nights.
“We’ve now got people making theatre, running workshops, developing projects and using the building every week alongside the live programme. It feels like the creative community around Electric is really starting to take shape, and I’m excited to see what grows from having all these different people working under one roof.”
Find out more at sbctheatre.co.uk.
