The National Lottery Heritage Fund helps M6 Celebrate 50 Years

M6 Theatre Company is announcing a £73,500 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help celebrate 50 years of creating life changing theatre with, by and for children and young people. 

Throughout 2027, M6 Theatre will embark on a year-long programme of activity focusing on heritage, creativity and community engagement. 50 years of stories and memories will be brought to life through an in-depth oral history project, an interactive exhibition and a new publicly accessible digital archive. Laura Rodwell from M6 Theatre said: “Receiving this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is a testament to the impact of M6 Theatre over 50 years, both in our home town of Rochdale and across the theatre for young audiences sector, highlighting the difference we’ve made to thousands of children and young people.

Thanks to National Lottery players the project will also strengthen M6’s foundations for the future, ensuring its legacy and founding values of empathy, respect, social justice and equity continue to inspire the next generation. Hundreds of local people will participate in heritage activities and we will work with our communities to share and celebrate both M6’s journey over 50 years, and the journeys of our audiences, participants and theatre professionals past and present.” 

Celebrations will also include community outreach projects, a new youth theatre show, a community gala event and a specially commissioned film and poem. Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting M6 Theatre Company in marking their 50th birthday, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. Over the last five decades the theatre has worked with over 500,000 children and young people! It is fantastic news that this work will capture those stories to inspire the next generation of children and young people to ensure they remain at the heart of the theatre.”

For more information about The National Lottery Heritage Fund visit: heritagefund.org.uk

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.

Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. By 2033 we aim to invest £3.6 billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.