News
Applications now open for the Forkbeard Fantasy Award 2026
University of Bristol Theatre Collection Fox and Gill Archive Project – Artist Call Out
Audiovisual Preservation Day 2025 - blog on preserving tapes
A Playwright's Process: FREE workshop for South West based playwrights, actors, directors and theatre makers at University of Bristol Theatre Collection
Are you a playwright who would like to connect with other playwrights and theatre-makers in the South West? Or an actor, director or theatre practitioner / researcher who would like to work more closely with local writers and explore the playwriting process?
Funding awarded for the John Fox and Sue Gill Archive project
The Theatre Collection has been awarded funding from The National Archives for Dead Good Guides: The John Fox and Sue Gill Archive project
Two winners announced for 2025 Kevin Elyot Award
Two winners announced for 2025 Kevin Elyot Award
Friends of the Theatre Collection are looking for a Treasurer
Are you interested in theatre, museums, research, arts or culture? If so, you may be interested in joining the Friends of the University of Bristol Theatre Collection.
Inaugural Forkbeard Fantasy Award recipients announced
UoB Theatre Collection and Forkbeard Fantasy are delighted to announce that China Blue Fish and Naomi Smyth are the recipients of the inaugural Forkbeard Fantasy Award!
New exhibition at the Theatre Collection
Our new exhibition: A Spotlight on Process: Staging the Unstaged is now open.
A Playwright's Process: FREE workshops for South West based playwrights, actors, directors and theatre makers at University of Bristol Theatre Collection
Are you a playwright who would like to connect with other playwrights and theatre-makers in the South West? Or an actor, director or theatre practitioner / researcher who would like to work more closely with local writers and explore the playwriting process?
Call for applications: Kevin Elyot Award 2025
We are delighted to announce that we are now welcoming applications for the Kevin Elyot Award 2025, created in memory of the acclaimed actor and writer.
A Playwright's Process: FREE workshops for South West based playwrights, actors, directors and theatre makers at University of Bristol Theatre Collection
Are you a playwright who would like to connect with other playwrights and theatre-makers in the South West? Or an actor, director or theatre practitioner / researcher who would like to work more closely with local writers and explore the playwriting process?
New episodes available of Polly Tisdall's audio diary, 'Kevin Elyot, Crop Circles & Me'
Polly Tisdall, the current recipient of the Kevin Elyot Award, is publishing an audio diary as part of her residency at the Theatre Collection as she explores the Kevin Elyot archive and her own writing practice.
Senior administrator required to support the Friends of the Theatre Collection
The Friends of the University of Bristol Theatre Collection are looking to appoint a senior administrator to support their work.
Applications now open for the Forkbeard Fantasy Award 2025
The University of Bristol Theatre Collection welcomes applications for the £15,000 inaugural Forkbeard Fantasy Award.
New exhibition at the Theatre Collection
Our new exhibition: 'Spotlight: What’s New at the Theatre Collection' is now open.
New audio diary from Polly Tisdall, 'Kevin Elyot, Crop Circles & Me'
Polly Tisdall, the current recipient of the Kevin Elyot Award, is publishing an audio diary as part of her residency at the Theatre Collection as she explores the Kevin Elyot archive and her own writing practice.
New blog post published "Forkbeard Fantasy – An Adventure in Opening Boxes"
Read our latest blog by Rosie Smith, Project Archivist, Forkbeard Fantasy
Exhibition Dressing the Drama due to end Thursday the 28th Nov
New blog post published for World Digital Preservation Day 2024
Read our latest blog by Lori Stirland-Legret, Digital Archive Assistant
Theatre Collection Closure Period
The Theatre Collection will be closed for our annual collections management period from 6 - 10 January 2025.
New blog post published called "The Liberation of France: 80 Years of objets de mémoire"
Read this blog written by Damien McManus, Professor Martin Hurcombe, Dr Charlotte Faucher, Dr Federico Testa, Louisiane Bigot for Arts Matter
New blog post published: "Performing the Constitution: 19th Century Productions of Shakespeare’s King John" by Dr Ruth Houghton
Read our latest blog written by researcher, Dr Ruth Houghton, Newcastle Law School
New blog post published called "Kevin Elyot’s Archive and Mouth to Mouth (2001)"
Read our latest blog written by Kevin Elyot award winner Samuel Adamson
Writer, actor and theatre maker wins 2024 Kevin Elyot Award
Polly Tisdall, a Bristol based multi-talented writer, actor, and theatre maker, has been selected as the eighth recipient of the annual Kevin Elyot Award by the University of Bristol's Theatre Collection.
New blog post published called "Artist-in-Residence Placement – Where The Bonnie Heather Grows : A retrospective"
Read our latest blog written by Artist in Residence Bobby Jones
New blog post published called "My experience of attending the DPC Unconference 2024"
Read our latest blog written by Digital Archivist Emma Hancox
New exhibition unveiled at the Theatre Collection, 'Dressing the Drama'
This exhibition explores how theatre designers from the 1890s to the 1990s created historical costumes, from designs which aimed to be faithful to a historical period, to interpretations that were more artistically expressive.
New blog post published: "Kevin Elyot’s The Day I Stood Still (1998)"
Read our latest blog written by Kevin Elyot Award recipient Samuel Adamson
New blog post published: "Artist-in-Residence Placement – A Matter of Mould"
Read our blog written by Artist in Resident Bobby Joynes
Call for applications: Kevin Elyot Award 2024
We are delighted to announce that we are now welcoming applications for the Kevin Elyot Award 2024, created in memory of the acclaimed actor and writer.
New blog post published called "Staff visits to Bristol Museum and BECC"
Read our latest blog written by Lucy Allen, Archive Assistant at the Theatre Collection
New blog post published called "On Kevin Elyot and My Night with Reg"
Read our latest blog written by Kevin Elyot Award recipient Samuel Adamson
New blog post published called "Archives – a Dynamic Living Body: a View from a New Archive Assistant"
Read our latest blog written by Archive Assistant Benjamin Park
New blog post published celebrating World Digital Preservation Day!
Read our latest blog written by Digital Archivist Emma Hancox
Immersive Histories: Students as Interdisciplinary Researchers
Read this recent blog from an interdisciplinary archive research project at the Theatre Collection.
New blog post published exploring the new virtual museum The Uncertain Space
Read our latest blog written by Digitisation Officer Sarah Bustamante-Brauning
New blog post published to celebrate Irving Family Archive
Read our latest blog post written by Project Archivist Emma Howgill
Winner of the Kevin Elyot Award 2023 Announced
Samuel Adamson, a writer, dramaturg and teacher based in London, has been chosen as the seventh recipient of the annual Kevin Elyot Award by the University of Bristol's Theatre Collection.
‘Making a Scene’ project shortlisted for Museum and Heritage Award in the ‘Best Use of Digital’ category
The Theatre Collection’s innovative partnership project that uses 3D augmented reality (AR) technology to help bring the art of theatre production to life for young people was among the nominees for a prestigious award.
Theatre and Visual Culture in the Long Nineteenth Century
Firestarters project update
Read our latest blog post with an update on the Firestarters project to make available the archive of the arts organisation, Welfare State International.
Call for applications: Kevin Elyot Award 2023
We are delighted to announce that we are now welcoming applications for the Kevin Elyot Award 2023, created in memory of the acclaimed actor and writer.
Miniature Stage Lighting demonstration
Read our latest blog post about a visit from the depositor of the Miniature Stage Lighting.
‘No Time To Wait’ AV preservation symposium blog post
Nigel Bryant, Audiovisual Digitisation Officer, writes about his visit to the ‘No Time To Wait’ audiovisual preservation symposium at Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision in The Hague