Plans to move Derby Theatre into new building revealed

Further plans have been revealed for a new building for Derby Theatre on the site of the former Assembly Rooms – as the council applies for government funding. 

Called Assemble, the building would be operated by Derby Theatre and is backed by Derby City Council and the University of Derby. 

The Stage reported in October 2021 that the council was considering plans to relocate Derby Theatre from its current "hidden" home within Eagle Market to a purpose-built facility on the site of the former Assembly Rooms, which was destroyed in a fire in 2014. 

The plans are moving forward, with the council set to bid for £51 million from the government’s ’levelling up’ fund.

This will include £20 million towards Assemble, £16 million for a commercial and residential redevelopment and £15 million towards a new hotel. The bids will go before the council for final approval on July 5 before being submitted to the government. 

According to Derby Council, the Assemble building would increase theatre attendance by 83,000, attract an additional 25,000 visitors to Derby each year and generate a net additional £1.7 million per year for the local economy.

Assemble would also include a new research hub and enable Derby Theatre to expand on its artist development, youth, community and outreach programmes. 

A council spokesperson said: "[Assemble] would use culture to regenerate the area, bringing events, learning and activity to the city centre. The new theatre would contribute to Derby’s City of Culture 2029 bid.

"Assemble would increase the scale and appeal of Derby Theatre’s locally produced content [and] attract a variety of toured works."

Derby Theatre artistic director Sarah Brigham said, if the bid is successful, the new theatre would be "an exciting new landmark venue for the city" and "a place for the community to assemble to celebrate, learn and be entertained".

She added: "We love our current venue, but we are fast out growing its limited footprint as we expand the ambition of our productions, the reach of our community work and the depth of our engagement with the University of Derby."

Leader of Derby City Council, Chris Poulter, said the new theatre and other two projects "can unlock Derby’s potential".

He added: "Linking with other redevelopments already in the pipeline, they will give confidence to local businesses, investors and external funders. This will lead to further investment into the city.

"It is a transformative and ambitious package put together by the public and private sector, but it needs the government to come to the table as well. All of this cannot be delivered without government backing."