AN arts and education charity has announced a new partnership with the University of Winchester.

Play to The Crowd, which runs the Theatre Royal, Hatfair and Playmakers, has announced that the university will become the charity’s principal education investment partner.

The five-year partnership will provide unrivalled opportunities for their students at Theatre Royal Winchester and the Outdoor Arts Festival Hat Fair, providing vital learning and experience for future theatre makers and performers.

Hampshire Chronicle: L-R: Professor Sarah Greer and Play to the Crowd's Mark Byford sign the documents to make the partnership official (credit: Newsquest)L-R: Professor Sarah Greer and Play to the Crowd's Mark Byford sign the documents to make the partnership official (credit: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)Students from the Faculty of Arts will present, on the theatre’s historic stage, their end-of-year showcase performances as well as have the opportunity to perform some work-in-progress pieces in the theatre’s foyer event space.

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Deryck Newland, chief executive of Play to the Crowd, said: “We are delighted with our new partnership with University of Winchester. This investment is significant not only to Play to the Crowd and the university, but also the wider city of Winchester.

“The partnership allows us to continue in our mission to delight and unite our community, inspiring residents to connect with and participate in live performance as well as nurturing the talent of future artists. The power of live performance can bring social cohesion, improve a community’s health and well-being, and helps create a vibrant locality in which to live, work and play.

“We believe this investment is a major boost to the cultural and education ecology of the city and wider district.”

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Sarah Greer, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winchester, added: “The work Play to the Crowd does across the city is important in so many ways – nurturing, inspiring, uniting and delighting our community. The University of Winchester is proud to be the charity’s Principal Education Investing Partner because, like Play to the Crowd, we want to see our city and surrounding area grow and flourish.

“This partnership will help us to make an ever greater contribution as an anchor institution in the city to help meet the needs and aspirations of local communities, supporting wellbeing and nurturing a flourishing cultural life.”

The start of this new partnership was celebrated with an event at Theatre Royal Winchester on Thursday, February 23 where they were treated to a short performance from students on the Musical Theatre course of Being Alive from Stephen Sondheim’s Company, before being invited to enjoy Le Navet Bete’s professional production of Treasure Island.