Children's theatre company opens new arts venue in Exeter

Theatre Alibi chief executive Debbie Bucella said they still wanted to give children a "great cultural experience"

A touring Devon theatre company will become an arts venue with a permanent base.

Theatre Alibi developed its own touring plays from a base at Exeter's Emmanuel Hall but lost its Arts Council England funding in 2023.

It will now use the space as a child-centred arts venue for other creative organisations to share their work.

Theatre Alibi chief executive Debbie Bucella said they still wanted to give children a "great cultural experience".

'Something spectacular'

Ms Bucella said: "Every year we were reaching 13,000 children with our tour which would go around Devon, bits of Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset.

"When that funding got removed, sadly we had to stop doing that work, but we looked at what our assets were and the biggest thing that we have is this building.

"We decided we would reach children and still give them something spectacular and a great cultural experience but just within our own building."

Their new venture, The Centre for the Imagination for Young People and Children, is hosting its first event until the end of half term.

An Arts Council England spokesperson said: "We're thrilled to see children and young people experience Theatre Alibi here in Exeter.

"Thanks to public funding, we are able to support their pivot to a new model at Emmanual Hall so that audiences of all ages can get creative."