Meet Kate Cotruvo from The Nursery Theatre and Training Centre

Creative United is working with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to devise and deliver Premises Ready, a business programme which supports people and organisations to open cultural venues within London.
The programme has offered advice from industry insiders and experts from arts centres, cinemas, music and dance venues providing knowledge and insights to help creative businesses open a venue.

Kate Cotruvo, the Transition Project Manager for The Nursery Theatre and Training Centre, is one of the five successful applicants who are currently receiving free one-to-one advice from an industry specialist to boost them towards getting the keys to their own building.

Can you tell us a bit more about your project?
The Nursery is an improvisation theatre which also provides workshops, classes, and rehearsal space in central London. We currently operate out of two temporary locations and are looking to consolidate and move our operations to a single, more permanent space.

What was your favourite part of the programme?
I enjoyed being on the 2-day Premises Ready Workshop at the Roundhouse and learning from the licensing presentation from Islington Council. It was really nice to hear from someone working within that realm talk in a casual, personable way about a topic that is usually quite difficult to navigate.

What is the main challenge for anyone looking to open a creative/cultural space?
I think the main challenge is remembering who you are and your initial purpose for opening a creative/cultural space. Many things can change as you work towards jumping through all the legal and logistical hoops to securing premises, and it’s very difficult to stay focused and commit to your original intent.

How do you think Premises Ready has helped you move forward with your project?
Premises Ready introduced us to a wider network of support that we otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to. It was a fantastic experience meeting the many passionate people with wonderful ideas for new cultural spaces. The workshop and the 1:1 training has been the most beneficial for our current project, as everyone leading and mentoring works within the creative and cultural sector in some way, and therefore understands the specific needs of our arts charity.

Follow The Nursery Theatre on social media:

Facebook: NurseryTheatre
Instagram: @nurserytheatre
Twitter: @nurserytheatre