Unity Theatre Trust

UNITY THEATRE TRUST
The Trust

The Trust was set up as a charity in the spirit of the traditions of the theatre and its history with the purpose:

"To advance the education of the public by fostering, promoting and increasing the interest of the public in the art of drama and in the co-related arts"

Unity Theatre Trust is a Registered UK Charity (No.210387) and is governed by a Board of Trustees.

UNITY THEATRE TRUST
Archives

The trust maintains an archive of heritage materials relevant to the theatre.

If you would like to access the Archives please follow the procedure below:

Unity Theatre Archives are now housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in Blythe House.

The Unity Archive can be viewed in the V&A reading room in West Kensington by appointment. The V&A archive catalogue can be searched at this link and appointments to view material can be made directly with the V & A.

The reading room is located in Blythe House near the Kensington Olympia exhibition centre. The nearest station is Kensington Olympia on the District and Overground lines. They are open Tuesday-Friday, 10.15am-4.30pm.

This is a free service but an appointment must be made.

V&A Theatre & Performance Enquiry Service Blythe House 23 Blythe Road London W14 0QX

UNITY THEATRE TRUST
Trustees & Administration

Clive Gehle
Trustee/Chair
Dike Okoh
Trustee/Vice Chair
Kayelle O'Donoghue
Trustee
Ann Mitchell
Trustee
Clare Kenny
Trustee
Ayvianna Snow
Trustee
Shola Adewusi
Trustee
Jason Wing
Trustee

Michael Kennard
Treasurer
Sean Chiles
Secretary

UNITY THEATRE TRUST

Terms of Use & Privacy

Unity Theatre Trust Website Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

1.Privacy Policy

The Unity Theatre Trust (UTT) is very respectful about the privacy concerns of the visitors to any of its sites on the Internet.

Information we collect and how we use it:

As a general policy, no personal information is automatically collected from passing visitors to its sites. However, certain non-personal information is recorded by the standard operation of its Internet servers. This information is primarily used to provide an enhanced online experience for the visitor and to provide UTT with non-personally identifiable statistics about use of the sties.

UTT websites use session cookies when you browse them. These cookies do not contain any personally identifying information.

The collection, storage, and use of any information that we collect about you in relation to your application for the awarding, and administration, of a Grant is for the sole use of enabling the Trustees to decide about grant or Bursary applications and will be in accordance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We process this information under GDPR Article 6(1)(b) relating to Contract. When an application is successful and a grant awarded, we will keep this information for 6 years. When an application is unsuccessful, we will keep the information for 2 years and then delete or destroy it.

To communicate with you, except in the context of any grant application or award or administration of a grant, we will obtain your specific consent. We use this information only for our own organisation and we will not sell or otherwise transfer it outside the organisation. Where we send out email newsletters they will always contain instructions on how to discontinue receipt and how to unsubscribe from our mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time. We process this information under GDPR Article 6(1)(a) relating to Consent. We will keep your consents until you remove them.

Users should be aware that when they voluntarily disclose personal information (e.g., user name, e-mail address, phone number) on any bulletin boards or chat areas that may be in operation, the information can be collected and used by others and may result in unsolicited messages from other people. To the extent that any of our sites accessible through www.unitytheatre.org.uk may have additional practices, these practices will be explained at that site.

Where and how we store your information:

We take reasonable manual and automatic measures to protect Personal Data within our organisation. We store your information on a protected server that is regularly scanned for malware and viruses. Our website is hosted on a server using SSL technology and that is regularly scanned for malware and viruses. Physical records are kept under lock and key and only accessible to authorised people.

What happens if there is an information data breach?

If we discover that your information has been accessed irregularly we will let you know about it by email no less than 72 hours from the date of discovery. If you have reason to believe that Your information has been accessed irregularly you should contact us immediately to let us know.

Your rights:

If you are a European Union resident you have the right to:

  • Information about the processing of your personal data;
  • Obtain access to the personal data held about you;
  • Ask for incorrect, inaccurate or incomplete personal data to be corrected;
  • Request that personal data be erased when it’s no longer needed or if processing it is unlawful;
  • Object to the processing of your personal data for marketing purposes or on grounds relating to your particular situation;
  • Request the restriction of the processing of your personal data in specific cases;
  • Receive your personal data in a machine-readable format and send it to another controller (‘data portability’);
  • Request that decisions based on automated processing concerning you or significantly affecting you and based on your personal data are made by natural persons, not only by computers. You also have the right in this case to express your point of view and to contest the decision.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact at ObscureMyEmail or through any of the means indicated. A fee will apply for processing the requests listed above. If we are unable to action your request due to legal reasons outside our control we will let you know.

2.Terms of Use

Please read these Terms Of Use carefully before using this site.

By using this site, you signify your understanding of and agreement with these Terms Of Use. If you do not agree with any of the below Terms Of Use, do not use this site.

The Unity Theatre Trust reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, alter or otherwise update these Terms Of Use at any time and you agree to be bound by such modifications, alterations or updates.

2.1 Trademarks, Copyrights and Restrictions

This site is controlled and operated by The Unity Theatre Trust, 93 Hurstbourne Road, Londond SE23 2AQ, England. All material on this site, including, but not limited to images, illustrations, audio clips, and video clips, is protected by copyrights which are owned and controlled by Unity Theatre Trust, or by other parties that have licensed their material to Unity Theatre Trust. Material from unitytheatre.org.uk or any website owned, operated, licensed or controlled by Unity Theatre Trust may be accessed copied printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, with copyright acknowledged, on a temporary basis, only for personal study and strictly for non-commercial use. Written permission from the Trust must be obtained for any other use including reproduction in any form, display in any form, performance or transmission by any means.

Applications for permission as required above should in the first instance, be addressed to:

The Secretary to the Trust by E-mail at: ObscureMyEmail or by Mail to:93 Hurstbourne Road, London, SE23 2AQ, England 2.2 Linked Sites

Unity Theatre Trust, whether or not affiliated with sites which may be linked to this site, is not responsible for their content. The Linked Sites are for your convenience only and you access them at your own risk. Those sites may have their own Terms of Use and Privacy Policies and you should consult them independently.

2.3 Disclaimer

The materials in Unity Theatre Trust's Web Sites are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind either express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, Unity Theatre Trust disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

Unity Theatre Trust does not warrant that the functions contained in the materials will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that Unity Theatre Trust's websites or the server that makes them available are free of viruses or other harmful components. Unity Theatre Trust does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the materials in Unity Theatre Trust's websites in terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise. You (and not Unity Theatre Trust) assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair or correction.

Applicable law may not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. The material that you read in Unity Theatre Trust's Web Sites is provided solely for research, entertainment and promotional purposes. The information and opinions expressed in any Bulletin Boards, Chat Rooms, or other forums conducted on or via this site are not necessarily those of Unity Theatre Trust or its affiliated or related entities or content providers and Unity Theatre Trust makes no representations or warranties regarding that information or those opinions. Furthermore, neither Unity Theatre Trust nor its affiliated or related entities or its content providers are responsible or liable to any person or entity whatsoever (including, without limitation, persons who may use or rely on such data/materials or to whom such data/materials may be furnished) for any loss, damage (whether actual, consequential, punitive or otherwise), injury, claim, liability or other cause of any kind or character whatsoever based upon or resulting from any information or opinions provided in Unity Theatre Trust's Web Sites.

2.4 Submissions

Unity Theatre Trust is not responsible for any material posted on our Forums. You shall not submit or otherwise publish through such Forums any content which:

a) libels, defames, invades privacy, or is obscene, pornographic, abusive, or threatening;

b) infringes any intellectual property or other right of any entity or person, including, but not limited to, violating anyone's copyrights or trademarks;

c) violates any law;

d) advocates illegal activity;

e) advertises or otherwise solicits funds or is a solicitation for goods or services; (collectively "Non-Approved Material").

You agree to indemnify Unity Theatre Trust and its officers, directors, employees, agents, distributors and affiliates from and against any and all third party claims, demands, liabilities, costs, or expenses, including reasonable legal fees, resulting from your breach of any of the foregoing agreements, representations, and warranties.

2.5 E-mail and Postings Received

Do not post any threatening or libellous e-mails or material on or via this site that would be considered a violation of any law. Unity Theatre Trust will fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing Unity Theatre Trust to disclose the identity of anyone posting any such e-mails or materials.

2.6 Jurisdictional Issues

Unless otherwise specified, the materials in Unity Theatre Trust web sites are presented solely for the purpose of research, entertainment and promoting programs and other products available in the United Kingdom, its territories, possessions, and protectorates.

This site is controlled and operated by Unity Theatre Trust from its offices within the United Kingdom, or by an agent of Unity Theatre Trust. Unity Theatre Trust makes no representation that materials in Unity Theatre Trust's Web Sites are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access this site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.

This agreement shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the EU, as it is applied to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within such Community. Any action you, any third party or Unity Theatre Trust bring to enforce this agreement or, in connection with, any matters related to this site shall be brought only in either the Courts located in the EU, and you expressly consent to the jurisdiction of said courts.

If any provision of this agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

This is the entire agreement between the parties relating to the matters contained herein and shall not be modified except in writing.****

UNITY THEATRE TRUST

Contact The Trust

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"To advance the education of the public by fostering, promoting and increasing the interest
of the public in the art of drama and in the co-related arts"

The Trust invites applications for grant funding of between £250 and £2,500 at various times throught the year.
The Grant Application round is now open until December 18 2024 or until 30 applications have been received.
Successfully submitted applications will be considered at the next meeting of the Trust on January 12 2025.
Click on Grant Applications above and read the Grant Conditions and Guidance Notes.

Unity Theatre grew out of the agitprop street theatre in the East End of London in the early 1930s lasting until it was destroyed by fire in 1975.

Once established, in a converted chapel in Kings Cross (built entirely with voluntary labour), Unity became the inspiration for a national upsurge in drama on social and political issues, since it was the only theatre in London throughout the 1930's, 1940's and early 1950's producing plays on these subjects.

Alongside shows specially created for Unity, it drew on the repertoire of world theatre, including innovative productions of works by Clifford Odets, Sean O'Casey, Lope de Vega, Jean Paul Sartre and Arthur Adamov. It was the first theatre in England to stage a play by Bertolt Brecht and it helped popularise the plays of Maxim Gorky.

Unity's strength lay with its audience drawn mainly from the trades unions and organised labour movements, but amongst its supporters were many eminent personalities e.g. Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Sybil Thorndike, Beatrix Lehmann and Paul Robeson whose appearance with Unity, followed by international acclaim for the political pantomime Babes in the Wood, marked the peak of the theatre's fame.

With the outbreak of war, Unity was the first theatre to open in London once the ban on public entertainment had been lifted and it maintained a permanent repertory of plays, satirical revues and musicals throughout the five years of hostilities. It also sent out small groups of performers who, often in hazardous conditions, provided valuable shelter and factory entertainment for those winning the war at home.

Unity emerged from the war at the head of a national drama movement that was concerned with the lives of working people. Soon however, many of the developments pioneered by Unity, such as vernacular drama, Living Newspaper and biting satirical shows, were accepted by the theatrical mainstream and television.

Many well-known theatre people - Lionel Bart, Alfie Bass, Michael Gambon, Bob Hoskins, David Kossoff, Warren Mitchell, Bill Owen and Ted Willis among them - learned their skills at this influential theatre which was the working people's most sustained and successful contribution to British drama and one of the most important and enduring initiatives in popular culture this century.

© 2024 Unity Theatre Trust

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