LIGHTS. SOUND. ACTION.

Help us bring Groundlings to life.

Groundlings Theatre has found an exciting new home in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, but an empty space isn't a theatre.

  • We need lighting.

  • We need sound.

  • We need staging.

Most importantly, we need a community that believes in the power of theatre.

We're aiming to raise £6,000 to help transform our venue into a fully functioning community theatre where people of all ages can experience live performance, develop their creativity, and have the opportunity to take part.

Everyone in the community should have the chance to perform and engage with music, dance and drama and build a love of theatre and performing, whatever their age.

Every piece of equipment we own reduces our running costs and allows us to invest even more into the people and communities we exist to serve.

Thank you so much to all those who pledged donations to secure our target of £1,500 by 6 September 2026 and become a part of the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

The next phase will be the public Big Give campaign, that will then take place in the first week of December, when we have a number of fundraising initiatives planned to raise a further £3000. During this time everyone will be able to make donations to Groundlings through the Big Give website - no matter how big or small!

By supporting Groundlings, you're not simply helping us buy equipment.

  • You're helping create performances.

  • You're supporting workshops and community activity.

  • You're opening the stage to people of all ages.

  • You're giving local performers a place to perform.

  • You're helping create a permanent creative home for our community.

Thank you for your support and, together, let's raise the curtain on the next chapter of Groundlings Theatre!

FAQ

  • How can you help?

    From December 1st to 8th, 2026 the Big Give Christmas campaign gets underway! During this time you can make a donation to Groundlings which will be matched by Big Give - thereby doubling your impact!

  • What are you raising money for?

    We're raising money for the things that make theatre... a theatre.

    Stage lighting.
    Sound equipment.
    Staging.

    Owning this equipment means we can spend less on hiring it and more on creating performances, workshops, community events and opportunities for people of all ages.

  • Who will benefit?

    Groundlings is about creating opportunities for the whole community.

    We want our new home to be a place where anyone can perform, audiences can enjoy live theatre, people can develop their confidence and creativity, and communities can come together.

    Therefore we want the space to be availble for other local creative groups to use for performances as much as our own Theatre School students and productions.