The consultation

The Assessment included consultation with a wide cross-section of the theatre industry and its partners. This involved local authorities, industry lead bodies, Arts Council England's regularly funded organisations, applicants to Grants for the arts, artists, theatre presenters, producers and promoters, and audiences.

The consultation sought responses to a number of questions.

Questions

Looking at the last five years :

• what have been the major developments and changes in theatre? Have they improved or worsened the situation?
• in what ways have relationships between theatre organisations and locally based companies/artists, and theatre organisations and their local communities, changed?
• has there been more engagement with diversity and if so, what effect has this had on theatre and on audiences?
• in what ways have audiences and their expectations changed?
• what effect have economic and political changes or any other external interventions had on theatre?
• what has been the impact of the Arts Council's Grants for the arts scheme, since it was introduced in 2003?