Birmingham Hippodrome is one of the busiest theatres in the country, and one of the region’s most successful cultural attractions. The organisation engages with over 1,000,000 people a year through our theatre programmes, off-site festivals and learning and participation programmes.
Since opening in 1899, the Hippodrome has gone from circus, to hall of varieties, to large-scale performance venue, constantly evolving to reflect an ever-changing city. Birmingham is now entering its ‘Golden Decade’, harnessing the energy of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and looking ahead to the arrival of HS2. The Hippodrome is perfectly placed to be at the centre of a period of cultural regeneration for the region.
MISSION
“Providing that ‘goosebumps’ feeling through memorable and extraordinary experiences.”
VISION
“A distinctive, world-class Birmingham cultural scene with the Hippodrome at its heart.”
VALUES
- People Focused: We care deeply for our staff, audiences, volunteers, partners, participants and artists and are dedicated to ensuring that any Hippodrome experience is a positive one. Our people are the beating heart of Birmingham Hippodrome.
- Inclusive: We provide a safe and inclusive space for expression and creativity, priding ourselves on being collaborative and reflective of our city region. Inclusion is integral to everything that we do and is central to our decision-making.
- Inspiring: We bring individuals, groups and communities together to share those wonderful ‘goosebump’ moments: emotive, world-class cultural experience that ignite imaginations and inspire future generations.
- Progressive: We are ambitious for ourselves, our partnership and our city and region. We aim to be the best at what we do, always looking for new ways to advance, improve and evolve whilst being mindful of our rich and vibrant history.
- Sustainable: We take care with our actions, safeguarding the long-term sustainability of Birmingham Hippodrome through our work, environmental responsibilities and business practices.
About Us
Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust is a registered charity. It works to diversify audiences, support Midlands artists and young people, and to connect with the energy of Birmingham’s diverse communities. We have a reputation as a presenter of the best touring productions, whilst also developing and collaborating on our own ambitious artistic programme of work both on and off-stage.
Our venue is home to two theatres: the 1800-seat main auditorium, and 200-seat flexible Patrick Studio space. The programme includes touring musicals, opera, dance, comedy and the most successful panto outside London. In addition, the Hippodrome runs a year-round off-site festivals programme, engaging with new audiences.
The Hippodrome campus is also home to an incredible range of partners including Birmingham Royal Ballet, FABRIC and One Dance UK. It is the largest hub for dance outside London, creating work that tours nationally and internationally. We also work with several Hippodrome Associate Companies who collaborate on bold new work, reflecting the youth and vitality of the city and region.
The Hippodrome connects with over 40,000 young people a year through its extensive Learning and Participation work. This includes the acclaimed Hippodrome Education Network (HEN) of 44 schools, 80% of which are in areas of low arts engagement.
Run by a board of voluntary trustees, Birmingham Hippodrome is an independent charity with no regular funding from public sources. Project fundraising helps to support specific areas of work, and the organisation has received support from Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council, as well as businesses, trusts and individuals. The Hippodrome is a major employer in the city, with over 110 full-time employees, and has a significant economic impact on the region.
Our Impact
In 2022/23:
- 532,000 people watched a show on our main stage and Patrick Studio.
- We hosted 522 staged ticketed performances, including 54 accessible performances.
- 40,000+ young people took part in our Hippodrome Education Network creative activities.
- We delivered 86,565 moments with young participants.
- 192,000 people engaged with our festivals.
The Future
The Hippodrome is now embarking on the next chapter of its evolution as we begin to work on an ambitious five-year organisational plan, designed to remove barriers to access, reimagine our building and welcome greater numbers of audiences, visitors and artists. The focus will be:
- Hippodrome Unlocked: We will provide unprecedented access to all the work on our stages reflecting the youngest, most diverse city in Europe in everything we do.
- Hippodrome Studios: We will develop and amplify the creative potential of the region and originate new work which will be seen on our stages and across the world.
- Hippodrome Stages: We will have three stages offering year-round world-class programmes, each reflecting the diversity of the region.
- Hippodrome Tomorrow: We will start a transformational capital project created for and with the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands: the cornerstone of an extraordinary new era for the organisation and the region.