The Oxford Playhouse Trust

Analysis

The Oxford Playhouse Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Oxford. It was registered in July 1989, 37 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02397373). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides services and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Oxford Playhouse Trust reported income of £5.3m and spending of £4.8m, spending 91% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £2.0m to £5.3m (+172%), an average of +28% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 112%. Over the whole period it spent 96% 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, The Oxford Playhouse Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include University of Derby Theatre Limited (£5.3m), Marine Conservation Society (£5.3m) and Blackpool Grand Theatre (Arts and Entertainments) Limited (£5.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 65%, donations and legacies 22% and trading 10%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £414k. Charitable activities took 83% of spending and raising funds 6.8%. Reserves of £552k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 35 people.