TAUNTON'S Brewhouse Theatre is looking to shape its plans for the future, helped by the results of a survey carried out last month.

Theatre and music are the main reasons people have visited the theatre in the past, with the majority of respondents to the survey saying the café, films and comedy have also tempted them to visit.

The survey also revealed that comedy, film, drama and music, plus better parking, an improved food and drink offering, and a more welcoming reception area would encourage people to use the theatre in the future.

The Brewhouse carried out the survey in order to gauge who used the theatre, why they used it and what local people would like to see going forward, especially those who traditionally had not visited the venue.

Outdoor performances proved to be a popular future option, while village halls and schools could be used for outreach events and performances.

Over a third of respondents had visited the Brewhouse up to three times in a year, while a quarter had used the theatre on up to five occasions.

Word of mouth and the theatre’s website remained the most popular ways for people to find out about the venue.

Amy Bere, chief executive of the Brewhouse Theatre, said: “We would like to thank everyone who completed the survey, as it will form the starting point for new and ongoing conversations with a wide range of people.

"We want to re-engage with our existing audiences, supporters and participants, but we also want to reach out to new ones, upcoming artists and audiences from different social backgrounds and groups.

"Feedback from this consultation will inform our thinking and help shape our plans for 2021 onwards, and there will be many further opportunities for feedback about our work and the changes we make over the next few months.”

The Brewhouse will remain closed for public performance events until at least May 17, but survey respondents revealed they would be happy to continue accessing arts and events online, either through recordings or live stream performances.

Ms Bere added: “It is clear from the survey responses that people feel that, as well as entertainment, the arts has an important role to play in terms of education, health and well-being as well as offering scope to build communities through a shared experience.

"Climate change and work with and for children and young people scored strongly, too.”