We are moving 45 sewing machines, over 1,700 reels of thread and nearly 8,000m of fabric as we give our Costume Workshops a new temporary home.
Our 30-strong costume team are packing up the workshop on Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon and moving to a temporary space across town, so that the restoration and redevelopment work can begin. They are taking with them:
- Over 1,700 reels of thread
- 7885 metres of stock fabric
- 3,500 pairs of shoes
- 862 square feet of stock leather
- 1,131 magnets
- 97 hat blocks
- 36 tailors’ dummies
- 45 sewing machines
The move coincides with a £950,000 National Lottery grant awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the conservation of our Costume Workshop’s Grade II listed buildings. The grant will also enable visitors to experience our world-class Costume Workshop for themselves on tours and online.
We have the largest in-house costume-making department of any British theatre, located opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and hidden behind the Grade II-listed 1887 former scene dock which was built for the original Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.
Thousands of people from around the world have already donated to our Stitch In Time campaign, but there’s still £1.3 million left to raise towards the £8.7 million project, which is due to be completed by spring 2020.
More about Stitch In Time