Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

The venue's main auditorium seats 150 people and is used for both professional touring shows and for local community groups.

Student work was frequently performed at the Arena Theatre and local audiences continued to benefit from the range and quality of its professional programming.

The Arena Theatre continued to act as an essential resource for drama and a first class performance venue for the region.

Students from surrounding colleges and schools, members of local drama groups and arts organisations all made extensive use of the theatre.

After 20 years, the theatre had outgrown its cramped and inaccessible home, so with investment from the University of Wolverhampton and a grant from the National Lottery, an ambitious £2 million refurbishment began.