Critically acclaimed Wise Children, led by Artistic Director Emma Rice, have announced that they become the owners of the old Portway Methodist Church in Frome.

The space, renamed The Lucky Chance, will become the company’s permanent home to workshop new ideas, rehearse shows, and provide a base for The School for Wise Children, the company’s training programme for fearless, diverse, independent artists.

The church, which closed in September 2021, was built in 1910 and will undergo some TLC and minor refurbishment with the help of local builders, decorators, gardeners and contractors. In line with Wise Children’s mission, the space will be shared. It will become a creative hub for the local artistic community, offering meeting and rehearsal space for projects that chime with the company’s values and ethos.

Emma Rice said: “Our new home will be a place to be proud of, a place to inspire, a place to host and place to dream. We plan to invest our hearts, souls, minds and skills into this home. In turn, it will invest in us. It will be the sail and the anchor as Wise Children navigates its unique and joyful course.”

The School for Wise Children, led by Emma Rice and her award-winning collaborators, offers workshops, courses and traineeships for independent theatre-makers and emerging companies whether they are starting a career or looking to develop skills. Passionate about making high-level theatrical training accessible to everyone, all places at the School are free.

For more information, please click here.