Dudson Limited & Regent Theatre Shortlisted For Jaguar Land Rover Awards

Dudson Limited and The Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, have been shortlisted for 2 Jaguar Land Rover Awards for Arts & Business, in recognition of their long term partnership of over 10 years and an innovative mug project.

Against some very strong competition, Dudson Ltd and The Regent Theatre have been nominated for the Arts & Business Innovation Award in partnership witH Clarke Associates and the Arts & Business Sustained Partnership Award in association with Rolls-Royce plc.

Celebrating 210 years this year, Dudson continues to be a world-leading specialist in the manufacture and supply of ceramic tableware to the international hospitality industry and remains a privately owned family business, the oldest in the UK tableware industry.

The Regent Theatre is operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), who have a total of 39 venues across the UK. ATG is also one of the country's foremost theatre producers and has been behind some of the most successful and innovative productions in Britain and internationally.

In 1999, Stoke-on-Trent City Council asked a number of local businesses to invest in the development of a Cultural Quarter for the people of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Ambassador Theatre Group was awarded the operating license for The Regent Theatre and a long-term relationship was started between Dudson and the theatre.

Initially, Dudson received a return on their Cultural Quarter investment which included special offers and a small number of complimentary theatre tickets for their staff.

In 2007, they supplied The Regent Theatre and Victoria Hall with over 3000 items of hotel tableware to set up a Functions and Events business, allowing it to generate a source of income from conferences and events.

Following this investment, Dudson then went on to showcase their products in ATG's London theatres, where ATG attracts world-class actors from the UK and America, royalty and London business hospitality.

In the latest chapter of this unique business partnership, Dudson are supplying The Regent Theatre with 1000 mugs over the next two years, which the theatre has commissioned Stoke-on-Trent College Manufacturing & Product Design students to design. The first limited edition mug will be produced by Dudson and retailed in November this year.

The money generated from the sale of mugs will fund workshops and projects for other young people and will be delivered by The Regent Theatre's highly successful Creative Learning department.

The Dudson family's commitment to the regeneration of Stoke-on-Trent and enhancing the lives of their workers and the local community has been key to this long term relationship. The commitment of the Ambassador Theatre Group to working with local businesses with the appointment of Development Managers in its theatres has enabled the theatre to manage arts and business relationships at the highest levels; producing long term commitment from business and innovative ideas to generate funds for community projects and young people.

Karen Cody, Development Manager for Stoke-on-Trent Theatres Ltd, said: "Our relationship with Dudson Ltd has lasted for over 10 years and it keeps on reinventing itself, surviving staff changes and recession. I think if it can survive those things, it can survive anything! Here we have a creative manufacturer working with a creative theatre and it really works. I am looking forward to seeing what we come up with in 2012 - watch this space!"

Mr Max Dudson - Chief Executive, Dudson Ltd, said:

"We have always taken the view that investment in the local area and its community is not just beneficial for the ceramic industry but for the future of the area as a whole. With this in mind Dudson is proud to have forged such strong links with The Ambassador Theatre Group and in particular with The Regent Theatre and will continue to support them whenever possible."

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