Why private investment matters for project-funded cultural organisations

Recently, we shared the news that Silent Uproar has received long-term support from Wykeland Group for our upcoming production Night of the Werewolves LIVE. 

Wykeland is a local development company that invests in culture alongside the spaces it develops in Hull, and their support for the returning show is genuinely exciting for us. It’s the kind of partnership that makes new ideas possible. It also feels like a great opportunity to talk about how organisations like ours are funded, and why private investment and a mix of income streams can be so important for small cultural organisations like Silent Uproar. 

It goes without saying that a lot of people understandably assume that theatre companies and cultural organisations are mostly funded through public money, usually through Arts Council England. 

Public funding plays a hugely important role in the cultural sector. Silent Uproar has benefited from support from Arts Council England, as well as charitable trusts and project grants, and we’re incredibly grateful for that support. Many of our projects simply wouldn’t have happened without it. 

At the same time, however, public funding is only one part of the picture. 

Funding landscapes change and evolve, often shaped by the wider political environment both locally and nationally. For organisations trying to plan work months or years in advance, that can make things feel a little uncertain at times. 

One thing that sometimes surprises people is that Silent Uproar doesn’t receive long-term core funding. Most of our funding is project-based, which, in practice, means funding is usually awarded to support a specific production or project. It might help pay artists, hire venues, or deliver a particular show, but what it doesn’t cover is the long-term infrastructure of the organisation itself. 

This is a reality for many other small theatre companies. 

It means that alongside making shows, we’re constantly thinking about how to build partnerships and opportunities that allow the work to continue growing. 

One of the ways we’re approaching that right now is by planning more shows than might be typical for a company of our size. Our goal is to create regular cultural spaces that people can return to. When audiences know something is happening regularly, it starts to build a sense of familiarity. Over time, those events become more than just a single night out - they become places where people come back, recognise faces, and bring friends, and feel part of something that belongs to the city, which is Hull in our case. 

Community sits right at the heart of that. For example, our Come Out! steering group is made up of members from Hull’s queer community who help shape safe and welcoming spaces around our work. Having regular meet-ups and events help those spaces exist continuously rather than appearing briefly and disappearing again. That consistency can make a real difference. 

That’s why partnerships like the one with Wykeland are so incredibly valuable. Their support helps us secure a guaranteed monthly home for The Night of the Werewolves LIVE, creating a regular event that audiences can keep coming back to. For a small theatre company, having that kind of stability is something we don’t take for granted. 

The Night of the Werewolves LIVE, The Brain Jar Hull. Credit: Luke Hallett

In reality, most sustainable cultural organisations rely on a mixture of different income streams. Public funding often sits alongside business partnerships, private donations, ticket sales, collaborations with other organisations, and partnerships with festivals or larger cultural bodies. Having a variety of support allows organisations like ours to plan ahead, take creative risks, and keep building new projects. 

Audiences play a huge part in that ecosystem too; for example, buying early tickets helps us understand what people are excited about and gives venues confidence in hosting the work. Coming back regularly helps recurring events grow and become part of the city’s cultural life. Even the smallest of donations can make a meaningful contribution to future projects. 

Ultimately, diverse funding isn’t just about keeping the lights on; it’s about making sure that we can keep creating spaces where people feel welcome, entertained, and connected to the community around them. 

If partnerships, audiences and supporters all play their part (no pun intended), those spaces can grow into something really special. Places where people can share every emotion and moments of joy and human connection - and that’s exactly the kind of cultural life we want to keep building in Hull. 

The Night of the Werewolves LIVE is showing every month at Wykeland's SPACE pop-up venue on Pier Street in the Fruit Market (near Humber Street), Hull, until January 2027.

If you've been curious about what we do, this is a great place to start, and an even better reason to come back.

Grab your tickets and find out more, and we'll see you there: https://www.silentuproarproductions.co.uk/nightofthewerewolves2026