Darlington based Theatre Hullabaloo has today announced a new partnership with Darlington Building Society that will see the independent building society become a key partner in the new specialist children’s venue when it opens next week.

The Hullabaloo, a new venue specially designed for young people and their families in the North East, will open to the public on Tuesday 12 December, following its official launch on Monday 11 December.

The partnership will see the members of Darlington Building Society supporting both Café Hullabaloo and also be the first season partner.

Caroline Darnbrook, Marketing Director at Darlington Building Society said: “We are delighted to be able to support Theatre Hullabaloo as it works to inspire children and young people from across the North East to play and learn. It’s going to be amazing for Darlington to be the home of the only dedicated children’s theatre north of London, providing a very valuable resource for the region. Darlington Building Society is committed to helping the local community and organisations in the areas we work and supporting The Hullabaloo is a great way of supporting the future of the young people and children in Darlington.

Not just a theatre, The Hullabaloo as a national centre of excellence will also be an inspiring place to play and learn. Café Hullabaloo will be family-friendly and open Monday to Saturday between 10am & 3pm and throughout when shows are programmed. The Café is also the main entrance to the venue and as well as welcoming children’s pre and post theatre visits, it is also located next to the Gillian Dickinson Creative Play Space which will house free immersive mind-blowing creative play installations, and a range of participatory activities.

Darlington Building Society members will also support the first season of shows including the very first to be on stage at what will be the only specialist theatre of its type north of London.

The venue will open with a Theatre Hullabaloo production Bear & Butterfly, which is aimed at everyone aged 4 and above. The show will run from 12 December through to 31 December, it will then tour nationally in the Spring. Alongside the show, the venue will present a newly commissioned Enchanted Forest Creative Play installation where families can play with a fully interactive environment of musical flowers and magical trees, at the venue until the end of January. The rest of the season, yet to be announced, will feature a range of performances from visiting companies, participatory activities for early years, workshops, daily storytelling and creative play installations.

The ambitious project that is the brainchild of Theatre Hullabaloo, the north-east’s specialist producer of theatre for young audiences.

We are delighted that Darlington Building Society are partnering with us to support The Hullabaloo, said Laura Case, Development Director at Theatre Hullabaloo.

Their partnership support will not only support the development of The Hullabaloo but will enable us to present an exciting opening season of performances for children, build and connect with audiences through the delivery of our Enchanted Forest creative play installation, offer a wide range of creative opportunities and classes for families, and be a focal point for creative education in Darlington.

“We are hoping that The Hullabaloo will become a valuable resource for families in the town and really benefit the local people of Darlington. Café Hullabaloo is an integral part of the family-friendly experience that we want to create for the children and families visiting.

The Hullabaloo is a partnership between Theatre Hullabaloo and Darlington Borough Council. The total cost for the capital development is £2.7m and is funded mainly through grants from Arts Council England and Darlington Borough Council.