We have passed
£36,000!
Help us reach our £56,000 total by Celebration Day
If you are interested in the Fothergill Hall Seating project (details below), you may also be interested to coming to Ackworth School's next performance?
Our Drama Department never shy away from thought-provoking and hard-hitting choices in performance. This is true again for this year's Junior Production: The Laramie Project.
The Laramie Project is a complex portrait of a community’s response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man living in Laramie, Wyoming. In a series of poignant reflections, the residents of Laramie react to the hate crime and surrounding media storm with anger, bewilderment and sorrow. The play portrays the seismic and deeply personal impact Matthew’s death had on this small town while also demonstrating the power of the human spirit to triumph over bigotry and violence.
Old Scholars, retired/previous staff and the Ackworth School community are invited to this highly anticipated performance. You can book tickets through the school's Evolve platform here or by scanning the QR code.
The Fothergill Hall is the heart of performance at Ackworth. It has been home to lectures, plays, concerts, musicals and film nights since 1899: events that have shaped generations. The current seating has served us for 26 years, but is now significantly failing. Refurbishment will allow us to continue to host performances for decades to come, supporting our outstanding drama education that includes a scholarship programme of masterclasses, self-development and outreach. Upgrading the seating will improve comfort, accessibility and longevity whilst preserving the hall’s historic character.
We launched this development project on our 246th Founders Day, 18th October 2025, the day that commemorates John Fothergill’s vision in opening the school. We will replace the 224 seats (16 rows × 14) with modern, comfortable tip-up seating and invite you, our Old Scholars, parents, staff, and friends to sponsor a seat. If we exceed our fundraising target, we can plan additional improvements including new carpets and blinds.
Goal: £56,000
Timeline: Installation over summer holiday 2026
Launch: 247th Founders Day, 18th October 2026, in time for the new school year's performances
Progress: You can see how the auditorium is filling up here:
All donors, large or small, will be named in a permanent manner within the completed theatre.
If you donate £100+, this will cover the cost of reproducing an iconic poster or photos of an historic Fothergill performance. Your framed picture will include your name and thanks.
If you donate £250+, you can 'Take Your Seat' with a personalised plaque on a tip-up seat. You give your wording through the donation form e.g. 'In memory of', 'In celebration of', 'Sponsored by', up to 125 characters (including spaces) over five lines.
If you donate £500+, you are a 'Front Row Patron' and will have a seat on the front two rows for your personalised plaque.
We all remember the performances that stood out for us: whether treading the boards of the Fothergill stage ourselves, watching our children perform, or looking up to the people we admired (or fancied!) when we were teenagers at school.
We plan to decorate the refurbished auditorium with framed photos and posters of iconic Fothergill shows, chronologically and from as far back as we can go. Through the photo carousel below you can see what we have gathered so far - you have to register and log into this site to be able to view all the photos.
Help us expand on these by sharing your knowledge of years and shows through the 'Past performances' button below. Here, you can tell us if you have any photos or posters in your own collection that you would be willing to loan so they can be copied (or donate to us if you prefer!). You can also let us know if you plan to donate £100 towards the production and framing of a particular picture so your name can be included in thanks.
You must register and login to view this media gallery
Thank you for your support!
Thank you so much to one of our current Coram parents, Kieran Mckeefery, who kindly donated six tickets for the Capital Summertime Ball to raise funds for the Fothergill refurbishment. These were bid for through a silent auction in advance of the event on 6th June 2026 at Wembley Stadium. Artists included Take That, Bill Horan, Bebe Rexha, Myles Smith, Jason Derulo, Raye and more.
One parent was successful in bidding for a pair of tickets to take her daughter, who was beside herself with excitement! Another parent was successful in bidding for the other four tickets. We will share their reactions and photos after the event.
The Silent Auction has raised an additional £655 towards the refurbishment - a great boost towards our total.
