Royal Exchange Theatre awarded National Lottery Heritage Fund grant

We’re delighted to announce that the Royal Exchange Theatre has been awarded a £185,872 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for an exciting new project celebrating 50 years of storytelling, drawing on the theatres’ extensive costume archive to create and inspire new narratives while preserving our costume heritage and legacy. 

Launching on 15 September 2026 and running until 21 November 2026, as part of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s 50th anniversary programme – A Homecoming, the project will bring our extraordinary costume archive to life through a free public exhibition in the Great Hall, alongside a new intergenerational community performance. 

Showcasing costumes and accessories from five decades of Royal Exchange Theatre productions, the exhibition – Mythic Reinvention: Five Decades of Costume and Craft – will celebrate the skills and craft of designers, artisans and makers and share how storytelling, inspired by the idea of mythic reinvention, is embedded in every stitch, button and drape of costume. 

Displayed within the unique architecture of the Great Hall, this visually spectacular and interactive exhibition will offer audiences fresh perspective on both the architecture of the theatre and the work created and performed by artists on and off stage. The exhibition will also highlight the lifecycle of costume, from initial design to reuse, reflecting our ongoing commitment to sustainability. 

At the heart of the project are 50 participants, including members from the Royal Exchange Theatre’s Young Company and Elders Company who will play a central role, co-creating both the exhibition and a brand-new performance inspired by the costume archive, the theatre’s history and stories from Manchester communities. 

Our Artistic Director, Selina Cartmell said “For 50 years, storytelling has been at the beating heart of this theatre, and our costume archive holds those stories in every seam. Thanks to this generous grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’re able to bring that hidden history into public view and celebrate the extraordinary designers and makers who have shaped our work, while inviting new generations of artists and communities to reimagine it with us.  As part of our 50th anniversary programme, it feels especially meaningful to celebrate the craft that has helped define our artistic identity.” 

The immersive exhibition will be curated by Leslie Travers, an award-winning international set and costume designer based in London, whose work spans opera, dance, musical theatre and drama on some of the world’s most prestigious stages.  

Curator, Leslie Travers said: “The Royal Exchange is unlike any other theatre. The proximity between audience and stage is both thrilling and deeply demanding and this epic and intimate experience means costume design is integral to storytelling – it is vital that we find ways to preserve its remarkable legacy. I’m thrilled at the prospect of collaborating once again with the Royal Exchange team and working with the company to curate an experience that promises to be both meaningful and transformative.” 

Alongside the exhibition and performance, there will be programme of talks, backstage tours and hands-on workshops, offering behind-the-scenes insight into costume-making and sustainable design. 

Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Mythic Reinvention: Five Decades of Costume and Craft is made possible with the Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able develop and deliver this project, celebrating 50 years of theatre-making, focused on preserving and sharing our costume heritage. 

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting the Royal Exchange Theatre to celebrate their landmark 50th anniversary with this exciting exhibition. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the stories behind the decades-strong collection of costumes will be showcased and brought to life in a new performance. This is a fantastic way to mark this wonderful theatre’s special birthday.” 

This project is also supported by the Noël Coward Foundation and the Granada Foundation. 

Creative Team: 

Artistic Director: Selina Cartmell

Curator: Leslie Travers  

Head of Costume: Tracy Dunk 

Associate Director: Katie Greenall 

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund 

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. 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.