Credit: Paul Stringer
By Grace Hatchell- In Birmingham
Birmingham Hippodrome has joined forces with In Good Company in a new Midlands partnership designed to strengthen support for regional artists, freelancers and new work across the East and West Midlands. The move links the Hippodrome with a wider network of organisations already working together to champion artists at every stage of their careers.
I do like it when a press release lands in my satchel and, instead of somebody announcing a gala with three prosecco flutes and a fog machine, it turns out to be about properly backing artists. That is the sort of thing that gets a nod from me on my rounds.
Birmingham Hippodrome and In Good Company have announced a new partnership, and it sounds like a meaningful one too. The news was revealed on Wednesday 1 April, and before anybody asks, no, it is not one of those April Fool’s efforts where somebody claims a theatre has installed a revolving stage for the queue at the bar. This is the real deal.
The partnership marks a fresh step in strengthening support and connections for artists across the East and West Midlands, with Birmingham Hippodrome joining an established consortium that already includes Derby Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, Royal & Derngate, Lincoln Arts Centre and Y Theatre Leicester. In other words, this is not one theatre having a nice idea over a biscuit. This is a proper regional effort.
Now, I spend a fair bit of time pedalling between venues, dodging puddles, rogue pigeons and people who stop dead in theatre foyers as if struck by divine revelation, and one thing I can tell you is this: artists need more than applause. Lovely as clapping is, it does not always pay the bills, build a career or give somebody the support they need when they are trying to make work in a tough old industry. So when organisations start pooling their energy like this, my ears prick up faster than a stage manager hearing the words “technical issue.”
Birmingham Hippodrome says the partnership reflects both its own commitment and In Good Company’s commitment to supporting artists at every stage of their career across the region. That bit matters. Not just the shiny names, not just the people already halfway up the ladder, but artists at every stage. The ones just starting out, the ones experimenting, the ones grafting away in rehearsal rooms with a dream, a notebook and about £4.20 left in the bank.
Sophia Griffin, Head of New Work and Artist Development at Birmingham Hippodrome, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have partnered with In Good Company and join a collective of Midlands-based organisations that are leading the way with artist development. This partnership greatly supports the Hippodrome’s aims in raising the profile of Midlands made work and championing artists at all stages of their career; we look forward to collaborating with the partners to strengthen our offering.”
That all sounds very promising to me. There is something especially heartening about seeing Midlands-made work being championed properly, because too often the conversation can drift straight to London as though the rest of the country is just here to hold the coats. It is not. There is talent all over the place, and it deserves proper backing.
Jen Sullivan, Executive Producer of In Good Company, said: “We have sought new partnerships in the West to reflect the reality of the artist support we deliver for freelancers across the whole Midlands region. We approached Birmingham Hippodrome because artists told us, again and again, how much they valued the organisation and the support it offers. Combined with the fact that so many of the artists we already work with call the Hippodrome home, the partnership felt both natural and necessary.
“This is a really exciting moment for In Good Company – it means we can better serve the freelance artist workforce, and Birmingham Hippodrome is exactly the kind of ambitious, artist-centred organisation we want alongside us.”
And I think that is the bit that really lands. Artists themselves were already saying how much they valued Birmingham Hippodrome, which gives this partnership a bit more soul than your average official announcement. It does not feel plucked out of thin air. It feels rooted in what artists actually need and where they already feel supported.
For me, this is the sort of theatre story worth shouting about, even if it has fewer sequins than some. Because behind every big production, every daring new show and every clever idea that somehow makes it from scribble to stage, there has to be support underneath it. Proper support. The unglamorous stuff. The practical stuff. The scaffolding, not just the spotlight.
The new partnership also strengthens the wider regional picture as In Good Company continues building the infrastructure for artist development across the Midlands, with further national activity planned for 2026. So no, this is not just a nice photo, a few quotes and everybody home by five. It sounds like part of something bigger.
From where I am standing, satchel half-open and nosey as ever, this feels like good news for regional artists and good news for the Midlands full stop. Less puff, more purpose. Less “look at us,” more “how can we help?” And in theatre, that can sometimes be the difference between a bright idea fading away and a brilliant one getting its chance.
To learn more visit: birminghamhippodrome.com
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