Theatre Information

The Carriageworks is a thriving theatre at the heart of Leeds’ Millennium Square. It showcases the best new national and regional performance with a dynamic programme of theatre, dance, comedy and film. At the same time it provides support to young and emerging theatre makers, offering them a key platform to develop their work.

The venue gives opportunities for members of the local community to take part in a variety of high quality arts activities, and is home to the Leeds Civic Arts Guild. This is an umbrella group of performing societies offering the opportunity for local people to experience making theatre in a fully-functioning professional venue.

The Carriageworks also offers high quality facilities for events, festivals and conferences to organisations looking for an inspiring and centrally located setting for their event.

There are two performance spaces. The Main Auditorium is a proscenium arch theatre with a capacity of 350, and caters for larger-scale productions. Upstairs@thecarriageworks is an intimate and flexible studio space with a maximum capacity of 65, and hosts an innovative selection of fresh and exciting new work.

Located within the new Electric Press Development, The Carriageworks is situated on first-floor level overlooking an historic glass-roofed and heated courtyard which in early Victorian times was the home of the ‘West Riding Carriage Manufactory’, from which the theatre takes its name.

History of the Building

The Carriageworks is located on the first floor level of the Electric Press Development on Millennium Square, Leeds. 

Stansfield Chambers (Grade II listed) which was built in 1848 and housed the West Riding Carriage Manufactory, from which theatre takes its name; and Portland Chambers which was built towards the end of the last century.

These buildings were occupied by a variety of tenants over the years up  until 1999 when all remaining tenants were relocated to enable Leeds City Council to market the buildings as a development opportunity.

The Electric Press Development incorporates The Electric Press building (Grade II listed) which was built in 1894 and was used by Chorley and Pickersgill as a printing works.

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