Our Mission

The promotion of opera, drama and ballet as carried on at the two theatres known as The Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells, or any other theatres taken over by the Vic-Wells governors, and for the general development of the work begun there by Lilian Baylis

The history of the Vic-Wells Association goes back to when Lilian Baylis, who managed the Old Vic Theatre, founded the Old Vic Association during the 1922-1923 theatre season. Baylis wanted to foster good relations between audiences and performers. When Baylis later took on the Sadler’s Wells theatre, the Association became the Vic-Wells Association. 

The two theatres are now managed independently, but the VWA archives, many of which are deposited with the Theatre Museum at the V&A, relate to the Old Vic, Sadler’s Wells, the Royal Ballet, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the English National Opera, and the National Theatre. The VWA seeks to support research into and creative responses to its rich and varied history.

From 2025 the VWA will be offering grants for academic research and practitioner research and development

1.     Research grants for scholars examining any aspect of the rich and varied histories of the Old Vic, Sadler’s Wells, any of the companies that developed out of Lilian Baylis’s theatres, Baylis’s legacy, the VWA archives etc. 

2.     Practitioner grants for any practitioners working on projects related to the topics listed above.