We will continue to lead our local partners to develop and champion our town’s cultural offer so that more people are engaged in a rich and diverse cultural programme, and Letchworth is known for its thriving culture and leisure offer.
2024 Highlights
Broadway Cinema & Theatre
2024 was a transformative year for our much-loved venue. We invested in smarter technology to personalise customer communications, helping us welcome over 5,000 additional visitors. Our focus on community engagement saw Broadway evolve into a true local hub — hosting events for groups such as Hong Kong Connect, Letchworth Interfaith Forum, and the local skateboarding community. We also expanded our cultural film offer for the Singaporean and Sri Lankan communities.
A major upgrade to Screen 4 introduced a boutique cinema experience with luxury seating and state-of-the-art equipment. This enabled us to programme more niche content, including classic films and our new Little Green Cinema series, dedicated to environmental themes for all ages.
Live theatre made a strong return, with a packed programme of drama, musicals, music performances and the ever-popular SPADS pantomime. Our Best in Comedy nights continued to sell out, cementing Broadway’s position as North Hertfordshire’s go-to venue for live comedy.
Broadway Gallery
The gallery began the year with Amal Ghosh: Bridge, a powerful exhibition exploring the Indian-born artist’s later works, rich in Buddhist and Hindu symbolism. Curated with Ghosh’s widow, Iris, and supported by the Paul Mellon Centre, the exhibition included a day-long symposium led by national experts on South Asian art.
Later in the year, we celebrated local talent with the return of The Letchworth Open — now the region’s largest showcase of creative work. Featuring 455 artists and attracting 2,976 visitors, it highlighted the vibrancy of our artistic community. Three standout artists — Jane Glynn, Guy Morris and Paul Stuart — were awarded bursaries, which include solo exhibitions and a bespoke mentoring and CPD programme in 2025.
Delivery Against Measures
- Develop customer engagement at Broadway Cinema - we know that the cinema is a beloved asset to the town, and it’s critical that we engage with its existing audience effectively, as well as drive new audiences to the cinema and theatre. In 2024, we began working with a new AI-led communications platform, enabling us to tailor the way in which each customer hears from us. The development of a new loyalty programme is also designed to improve our customers’ experience at our beautiful venue.
- Community investment - in 2024, we subsidised the operation of Broadway Cinema and Theatre to the value of £2.81 per ticket. This has reduced from £3.00 in 2023, showing the improvement in financial resilience at the venue.
- Making Letchworth known for its cultural offer - in 2024, we ran several projects to engage thousands of Letchworth residents. We will continue to drive these projects forward and have exciting plans for new activities in 2025 and beyond.
2025 Priorities
- Implement Letchworth Culture Strategy 2025 action plan, including bespoke support for local creative organisations.
- Build on the successes of Letchworth Festival, Arbor Day and Uncovering Letchworth to run larger and more engaging activities.
- Work with Historic England to create an educational programme for schools which will engage families in the history of the Garden City.
- Work in collaboration with Love Letchworth Business Improvement District to create a new “town trail” for families and young people to engage with all of the town’s heritage and cultural assets.
- Further refine our customer experience at Broadway Cinema & Theatre with the introduction of a new loyalty scheme.
Letchworth’s Culture Strategy
This is Letchworth’s culture strategy to 2026 and beyond. Please read it and consider how it will impact your life and what you stand to gain by being involved in its development and delivery. Then get in touch with us to find out how you can play your part in imagining a bolder, brighter future for Letchworth and bringing our shared vision to life.
