We often think of London as not only our cultural capital but the epicentre of cultural creation.

It is hard to argue against when so much art and creativity beat through its veins, but you cannot deny that in every pocket of the country, there are an array of creatives who produce amazing work for our stages.

And I may be biased, but I believe our region is full of talented and amazing artists and theatre companies to rival any other.  We just need to support them more.

We must nurture the leading artists of tomorrow while preventing the barriers that stop artists from launching a creative career. 

With our artistic development programme, we aim to fuel emerging artists by providing opportunities to experiment, exchange, and develop their practice.

The programme provides artists who want to build a relationship with Norwich Theatre with world-class facilities and development support of many kinds.  

Life as an emerging artist can be hard. The road can be long and littered with challenges, both expected and unexpected, and without support, it can often feel lonely.

This is why Norwich Theatre has recently launched a new network to support creative ambitions, provide opportunities for professional development, and make it easier to connect with peers. 

The Artist Network offers a rolling programme of free workshops and events that represent the diversity and breadth of the work seen on our stages. 

We’ve presented creative workshops with award-winning national companies, sessions to help artists find funding, and socials to encourage a connected and supported community.

A couple of weekends ago, we welcomed more than 80 artists and creatives to a four-hour takeover of Norwich Theatre Stage Two. 

It was an absolute hub of creative energy!

There were rolling live performances throughout the day from 20 or so companies, puppets walking around all day, and pitching stalls in Studio 2 for companies to show films of their work and to talk to people about what they do.

It was such an important and joyous opportunity for the Artist Network to come together as a community, to share the wonderful work that they have to offer both to this region, and the wider industry.

It’s a reminder to never forget the simple power of convening and sharing.

The feedback was phenomenal, with one artist commenting, “It can’t be underestimated what this event achieved for everyone involved! Long may it continue!”

Theatre is enriched by creatives who have different perspectives, who tell new stories and push the boundaries, and we need to cherish those who are doing this in our city, county and region. 

In order to make theatre that represents our audiences, we all need these local artists to create theatre in our region that represents their area and community. 

And this is what our audiences at Norwich Theatre want. A survey conducted during the creation of our Creative Experiences strategy found that 56 per cent of Norwich Theatre’s current audiences wanted to hear more local history and heritage stories. 

We must shine a light on and amplify local stories and voices, and what better way is there than using local creatives who know the area and community—and might even be able to do a decent Norfolk accent?

Working and supporting these extraordinary local creatives means they can see they can have a career right here in our region, keeping our arts ecology thriving and ensuring it can rival any other city or region.

Stephen Crocker is chief executive and creative director of Norwich Theatre.