In this session, Sarah Shooter will share how Theatre Royal Wakefield revitalised its individual giving and membership programmes, turning a modest £3,000 annual income into a thriving scheme generating over £15,000 per year. She’ll explore the power of engagement events, community connection, and strategic storytelling in cultivating long-term support.

Speaker: Sarah Shooter

Head of Development, Theatre Royal Wakefield

Sarah brings a wealth of experience and strategic insight to arts fundraising. Alongside her role, she is currently supporting The Grand Theatre Blackpool in shaping a dynamic fundraising strategy, and serves as Deputy Director at The National Fundraising School, where she trains and mentors fundraisers across the UK. With over two decades of fundraising experience across multiple sectors, Sarah now focuses her expertise on the arts—helping organisations build meaningful relationships with audiences and communities.

Exeter Artnership Fundraising Workshops

Free fundraising workshops for arts, culture and heritage organisations and practitioners through the Exeter Artnership.

This programme of FREE fundraising workshops is designed to support our creative community to develop skills, share knowledge and generate ideas to support the local cultural scene to thrive. We will learn together, bringing in fundraising experts and experience from across the country, so that we can all build resilience and sustainability, and nurture a culture of generosity, collaboration and trust within Exeter’s vibrant cultural scene.

These sessions are open to creatives and organisations of all sizes and across all disciplines.

These sessions have been facilitated by the Exeter Artnership – a group formed by Exeter’s five Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations: Exeter Phoenix, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Libraries Unlimited, and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery.

This programme is delivered as a partnership project with Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy, supported by Arts Council England.

Venue: 2nd Floor Meeting Room, Exeter Phoenix

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>