Ali Pritchard (North 2008), the founder & Artistic / Executive Director of Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, has been named as in the 100 most influential people in theatre in the UK. He describes himself as the bane of most of his teachers lives, he is dyslexic and neurodivergent and was often the class clown. He believes that during his time at school his cheeky smile, feel for a joke and showmanship got him out of several disciplinaries. From Cranleigh he went to the Academy of Contemporary Music and cut his teeth on stage as an actor and musician, before gaining a degree in Drama and Scriptwriting which has led to a career in script-writing, directing and producing. Ali credits Cranleigh for enabling a naughty boy who struggled to read to get to where he is today
Alphabetti Theatre believes great art should be for everyone not just those who can afford it. A space to experiment, evolve and discover excellence for artist, audience and participant. Located on the cusp on one of the most deprived areas of the UK, Elswick Benwell, they have just launched a crowdfunder campaign to become a warm space, much needed in a cold city like theirs. The crowdfunder campaign closes on January 30th 2023 with donations being matched by the Co-op Warm Spaces Funding Boost. For more information please visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/alphabetti-warm-space#start.
Their programme is eclectic, diverse and brilliant. Predominantly theatre, their next season features six world premiers and one North East premiers, plus original and new music, comedy, dance, poetry and cabaret. They average 300 performances, supporting 1,250 artists and welcoming 12,000 audience members each year. Check out what’s on here – https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/whats-on
As a registered charity they get a small amount of funding from Arts Council England, Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund, and Garfield Weston Foundation plus a few others for different projects, trusts and foundations. The main source of their income comes from their bar and individual giving. If you would like to support them please visit their crowdfunder campaign or alternatively if that has expired you could also join their Support Us scheme, where individuals can donate a set amount monthly in exchange for goodies as a thank you, for more information please visit: https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/support-us
If you are interested in getting into a career in the performing arts and would like some more information please get in touch with Ali, via the Alphabetti Theatre website.