The National Theatre is to offer guidance to two regional theatres in a pilot scheme designed to “unlock local philanthropy”.

The team at the National has pledged to work with Bristol Old Vic and one other regional theatre - as yet undecided - to try to stimulate philanthropy at a local level.

Executive Director Nick Starr said: “On the whole, theatres like Bristol Old Vic, which has a fantastic reputation and an extraordinary, dynamic leadership, are doing relatively badly on individual philanthropy. We plan to put together a kind of pilot model working with Bristol, and one other regional theatre that we haven’t chosen yet, working probably over a couple of years at board and executive level on fund-raising.”

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