Minister Recognises Squad’s Role in New Theatre Writing

Culture Minister Chris Bryant recognised the Writing Squad’s importance in creating “live modern stories that reflect people’s lived experiences.”

In a recent debate in which Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart put the case for community theatres to receive more support and be recognised as community assets, especially our local partner NK Theatre in Romiley. In reply the Minister emphasised the importance of cultural organisations without bricks and mortar for whom, in our words, building is a verb not a noun.

Squad Director Steve Dearden says, “What was great about the Minister’s mention is that usually these kind of points are made to show how much cash goes into an MP’s constituency, but here Chris Bryant made the wider point about the need to develop new writers and new work for audiences. As theatres cut back on writer development our role is becoming even more important.”

You can see the amazing list of theatres where Squad writers have been produced in the theatre section of our mad list of places Squad writers have been produced, performed and published here.