Gorleston Pavilion Trust
Protecting a landmark. Opening doors to the arts.
- Developing skills and confidence
- Education
- Creating routes into creative work
- Employment
- Helping more people take part
- Engagement
What the Trust does
We want the Pavilion to be both secure for the future and useful now: a place where people can learn, work, participate and experience live performance.
Protecting and restoring the Pavilion
The Trust holds the lease to the Pavilion Theatre and is responsible for safeguarding its long-term future. We are planning the care, repair and restoration needed to protect a distinctive seafront landmark while keeping it open and welcoming. You can read more about the building and the people who have sustained it in our history.
The Pavilion is not a museum piece. It remains a working, year-round theatre, welcoming audiences, performers, local companies and private events. Our programme of live shows and venue hire keep the building active—an essential part of keeping it viable.
Education
Pavilion Players Stage School is at the heart of our educational work. Young people aged 4–18 learn drama, singing and musical theatre with qualified teachers and creative-industry professionals. Classes, workshops and masterclasses, showcases and full productions build practical skills, confidence and an understanding of how theatre is made.
Employment
A working theatre creates paid opportunities across performance, production, teaching, technical work, customer service and venue operations. We want the Pavilion to support creative livelihoods locally and help people see routes into careers both on stage and behind the scenes. Our auditions and opportunities page shares current ways to get involved.
Engagement in the arts
We help people experience and participate in the arts as audiences, students, performers, volunteers and community partners. Through live shows, Pavilion Players productions, learning and participation, the Pavilion gives people different ways to feel that theatre belongs to them.
How far we have come
The Trust was established in 2010 to help safeguard the Pavilion. In 2024 it completed the takeover of the venue and assumed responsibility for the lease and the building's future—all while performances continued and audiences kept coming through the doors.
We have since been strengthening the organisation, growing opportunities for young people, celebrating the Pavilion's heritage and preparing for the substantial work the building will need. Reaching the theatre's 125th year in 2026 is a moment to recognise that progress and look ahead to what comes next.