Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Royal Trust Limited

Analysis

Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Royal Trust Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in October 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00756007). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Royal Trust Limited reported income of £7.6m and spending of £9.3m, spending 122% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £3.8m to £7.6m (+101%), an average of +19% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 47%. Over the whole period it spent 122% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Royal Trust Limited sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Yorkshire Sculpture Park (£7.6m), Poole Arts Trust Limited (£7.7m) and The Association for Cultural Exchange Limited (£7.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 56%, donations and legacies 27% and trading 17%. Charitable activities took 78% of spending and raising funds 7.2%. Reserves of £249k would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 221 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.