About Storyhouse
This house is your house.
Our mission and values
Here, culture is owned by everyone. We work every day to be a creative home for our communities.
- Listen closely – true empathy takes effort. So we work hard to understand different points of view,
- Look around – opportunities can be spotted by anyone, anywhere, at anytime. So we always have our eyes, ears and minds wide open.
- Speak up – not everyone’s stories have been told. So we use our voices to amplify those that haven’t been heard.
- Stand up – debate and discussion make things better for us all. So we don’t shy away from a challenge.
- Reach out – diverse perspectives solve the hardest problems and make the best decisions. So we seek them out, and invite them in.
Our artistic policy
Storyhouse’s artistic policy is to Tell the World Stories and we believe in the power of stories to create understanding within and between communities, spark creativity and allow people to feel seen and heard. We are committed to creating and presenting outstanding artistic opportunities for everyone.
We are an independent arts centre and creative hub in Chester in the North West of England which incorporates a library, mid-scale theatre, studio theatre and a cinema. We also run an open-air theatre every summer in the city’s Grosvenor Park.
Are you an artist?
Our safeguarding policy
Creating spaces where everyone feels safe to gather, create, learn and connect is fundamental to Storyhouse and who we are. Safeguarding is not a standalone process but central to our mission. It is embedded in our culture and the responsibility of every trustee, employee, freelancer and volunteer.
We work with thousands of children, young people and adults each year in our building, in schools and community settings via festivals, partnerships and outreach activity. We are committed to ensuring that every individual regardless of age, background or circumstance is protected from harm and able to participate with confidence.
Our safeguarding framework provides clear procedures to prevent, identify and respond to concerns. It is underpinned by safe recruitment, regular training and strong leadership oversight. It is reviewed annually by Safeguarding leads, Senior Leadership and our Board and is updated as required to reflect current legislation, best practice guidance and the evolving needs of our communities.
This commitment reflects our values: we believe everyone has the right to feel safe, respected and heard. By maintaining a culture of openness, accountability and care, we ensure Storyhouse remains a creative home where stories can be shared in safety and trust.
Our spaces
Theatres
Brand-new drama, big stage shows, live music, internationally-acclaimed dance and opera, famous faces, comedians, family shows and more.
Library
Spaces to work, study, collaborate and create in our award-winning library, where stories line the walls.
Cinema
Independent and international filmmakers, unmissable big-screen blockbusters, cult classics, family favourites, documentaries, and more.
Open Air
Join us for a busy summer season of outdoor performance, events and a festival atmosphere – Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Moonlight Flicks and more!
Our partners
Storyhouse is proud to work in partnership with many organisations, locally, regionally and nationally, collaborating to achieve the maximum impact in terms of public benefit.
Here are some of our existing partners – if you would like to join them, please get in touch with exec.support@storyhouse.com
Arts Council England
Arts Council England (ACE) is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Storyhouse is part of ACE’s National Portfolio of regularly funded organisations, receiving c£228,000 per annum to support activities that deliver against their 10 year strategy, Let’s Create. Our work contributes to the strategy’s three key outcomes: Creative People, Cultural Communities and A Creative and Cultural Country.
Cheshire West & Chester
Storyhouse is a strategic partner to Cheshire West & Chester, receiving investments of c£1.1m per annum to support activity contributing to all six of the mission’s set out in the Borough Plan: Starting well, Tackling hardship and poverty, Resilient people living their best lives, Opportunity in a fair, local economy, Neighbourhood pride and Greener Communities.
Chester BID
As supporters of Chester BID (Business Improvement District), we work closely with colleagues across the city on initiatives such as promotional campaigns, management of anti-social behaviour, Christmas activities and shared training.
Chester Zoo
Storyhouse is pleased to support Chester Zoo’s Sustainable Palm Oil Communities. This fantastic conservation campaign was launched in 2017 and just two years later, Chester became the world’s first Sustainable Palm Oil City. Storyhouse has committed to ensuring that the palm oil in any of the products we use is only drawn from sustainable sources.
One City Plan
The One City Plan sets out a vision for how the public, private and voluntary sector are working together to make in Chester a fairer, stronger and greener city. These ambitions align to Storyhouse’s own and we will continue to work with partners across the city to help deliver the plan.
Place for the Arts in Chester (PACh)
Place for the Arts in Chester is a community interest company with a mission to make Chester a more attractive and fun place to live in and visit. The model takes unoccupied business premises on Chester’s high streets to create pop-up art galleries for local artists to showcase their work. In support of PACh’s mission, which aligns with our own, we proudly facilitate exhibitions, receptions and the sale of artists work in our building.
Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust
Storyhouse is pleased to work in partnership with The Countess of Chester to explore supporting hospital staff wellbeing, and to host pop-up testing for local communities to drop in to have blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol checked, relieving some of the pressure on A&E services. Supported by a team of highly skilled social prescribers from the voluntary sector, the Countess of Chester pop-up initiative is able to direct pathways for diagnosed medical concerns as well as conversational health concerns i.e. mental health, unemployment, sick leave and more. By hosting at Storyhouse, we can enable our visitors to benefit from this preventative initiative and contribute to the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Marketing Cheshire
Our colleagues at Marketing Cheshire promote our region nationally and internationally to investors, students, businesses and leisure visitors. We are working with Marketing Cheshire and other venues across Chester to collaboratively promote Chester as a multi venue conferencing city.
West Cheshire Culture Partnership
Storyhouse is proud to join colleagues from across the borough’s creative and cultural sector to develop a joined-up approach to campaigning for more engagement and more investment in culture in the region. The Partnership is free to join and open to cultural partners, freelance creatives and organisations to help shape a Culture Manifesto for the future. You can read more about the Partnership and how to join here.
Fallen Angels Dance Theatre
Fallen Angels Dance Theatre is our company in residence.
It is a unique dance company and charity, that seeks to integrate professional productions with people who have lived experience of addiction recovery and/or mental health challenges from Fallen Angels community activity.
They are the only dance company in the UK that focuses their artistic work on addiction recovery.
MerseyDee Collective
Storyhouse is delighted to be working with Cheshire Dance, Theatre Porto and Theatre Clwyd to support creative freelancers working in all aspects of performance and arts engagement. The MerseyDee Collective was launched in October 2024 and is designed to build networks and help freelancers find opportunities to sustain their careers. For more details, click here.
West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce
Storyhouse is a member of the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, which is the leading organisation representing the business community across the whole of West Cheshire and North Wales. We are pleased to benefit from the advice, support and advocacy provided by the Chamber to support businesses to improve commercial growth and prosperity.
That Beer Place
Storyhouse works in partnership with That Beer Place to deliver the annual Chester Craft Beer Expo and other unique and exciting events that celebrate some of the best beers and ciders around.
That Beer Place is an award-winning bottle shop, bar, and event space—a true haven for beer and cider lovers. Situated on vibrant Foregate Street in Chester’s city centre, it is known for its warm and inclusive atmosphere. It’s a place where everyone can discover and savour an ever-changing selection of exceptional drinks. With Lisa and Dale Lord at the helm, their love for beer and cider shines through, making every event a fun and memorable experience.