The Yard is a new theatre space and bar in Queens Yard, Hackney Wick, London, by the canal and overlooking the Olympic Park.
The classically designed theatre is built with recycled and reclaimed materials and sits within a warehouse. The Yard collaborates with artists and audiences, and in doing so makes exceptional contemporary theatre.
We achieve this by programming through a combination of invited and open submissions. We help artists reach their potential by removing barriers and helping in areas they might need support. We work on their marketing and press, we offer full technical and production support, we offer all our spaces (both rehearsal and performance) at no cost and we offer notes and reflections to each company while they are making working at The Yard.
So that The Yard has a direct reach into local communities, The Yard partners local community centres. We make theatre in the centres, thus bringing the process of rehearsal closer to those who may not readily access theatre, and in return we offer free workshops delivered by the companies whom we commission.
It is hoped these unique models of working will develop a community of artists and audience, all with a strong bond to The Yard. The Yard is unique, ambitious and growing. Press describe us as “the future” (The Guardian) and “a diamond in the rough” (Time Out).Our productions regularly appear in Time Out’s Critics Choice, and the theatre has been featured on the BBC Culture Show.
In eighteen short months we have built a theatre, bar and kitchen, commissioned hundreds of artists, employed ten members of staff and secured significant amounts of funding.
