Arts, Culture & Heritage Education & Young People
2024 Free
Polka Theatre

Impact Report 2024-25

Polka Theatre in Wimbledon is the UK's first dedicated children's theatre, founded in 1979. In 2024-25 it reached 145,000+ people through 763 performances of 30 productions and a wide-ranging Creative Learning programme. Named the UK's Most Welcoming Theatre at the UK Theatre Awards 2024, Polka gave away 10,000+ free tickets and ensured 56% of Creative Learning participants attended for free. Programmes including Curtain Up!, Freefalling, Write Here Write Now and a new schools tour of Romeo and Juliet prioritise children facing disadvantage — with 40% of free schools participants receiving free school meals and 51% multilingual learners.

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About

Year-round theatre productions for ages 0-12; Creative Learning programme (20,800+ participants, 1,326 events); Curtain Up! free schools ticketing scheme (9,098 free tickets in 2024-25); Romeo and Juliet schools tour (2,000+ pupils, 15 schools); Freefalling weekly drama workshops for vulnerable young people (ages 8-16, free to referred participants); Write Here Write Now literacy programme; Talking Tales oracy project; Catapult artist development programme; Polka Playwriting Award; Young Ambassadors programme; free community play spaces; Arts Access scheme for SEND schools Custom geography from upload: London (Wimbledon) / National touring

Key Metrics

Key Metric 1 145,000+ audience members and workshop participants in 2024-25; 763 performances of 30 productions; 9 touring productions reaching 24,000+ people
Key Metric 2 10,000+ free tickets given to schools and community groups; 56% of Creative Learning participants took part for free; over 76,000 children have experienced Curtain Up! since 1994
Key Metric 3 37 access-adapted performances attended by 3,957 audience members; 98 volunteers gave 4,810 hours; named UK's Most Welcoming Theatre (UK Theatre Awards 2024)

Key Outcomes

  • 90% of Romeo and Juliet schools tour pupils showed increased confidence; 93% of Freefalling Foundation participants improved their ability to communicate; 82% showed improvements in language and vocabulary
  • 100% of Freefalling Young Company participants felt more confident and made a new friend; 85% of Freefalling Foundation participants felt more confident and made a new friend
  • 51% of free schools programme participants were multilingual learners (national average 21%); 44% identified as Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent; 40% received free school meals (national average 26%)

Geography

Other

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