Founded by avant-garde visionary Robert Wilson in 1992, The Watermill Center is an interdisciplinary laboratory for the arts supporting young and emerging artists through its year-round Artist Residency Program and International Summer Program, as well as Education Programs, exhibitions and events open to the public. The Watermill Center offers tours throughout the year of its 20,000+ square-foot building, which houses a library and a significant collection of global art and artifacts both contemporary and ancient, and eight-and-a-half acres of grounds and sculpture gardens.
The Watermill Center stands an eight-and-a-half acre arts compound, with verdant lawns and outdoor sculpture gardens. The Center is Wilson’s summer home and home to an ever-burgeoning collection of artifacts, textiles, sculptures, furniture and other art objects that are available for study.
Watermill serves as a place for artists to work, learn, create, and grow with each other, integrating performing arts practice with resources from the humanities, research from the sciences, and inspiration from the visual arts. Watermill is unique within the global landscape of experimental theatrical performance, and regularly convenes the brightest minds from all disciplines to do, in Wilson’s words, “what no one else is doing.”
In addition to the long-standing International Summer Program, expanded programming in the fall and spring includes an Artist Residency Program, workshops and classes, conferences and lectures, and a variety of local and international educational partnership programs. Watermill has collaborated with institutions such as The Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, The Baryshnikov Arts Center, Park Avenue Armory, Kampnagel Hamburg, CUNY’s Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, ArteEast, Performa, Taipei Cultural Center, Chez Bushwick, CPR – Center for Performance Research, New York Theater Workshop, MRI – Métamatic Research Initiative and RADIALSYSTEM V in Berlin, among others.
One of the most beautiful theatres in the UK, The Watermill Theatre can be found nestled on the banks of the River Lambourn, in the hamlet of Bagnor, just outside Newbury, Berkshire. The Watermill’s vibrant, ambitious programme, including a rich and wide-ranging Outreach offer, is anchored in its commitment to nurturing and developing talent – both on and off stage – investing in new writing, and serving its communities and audiences.
Each year, The Watermill mounts 8-10 new productions, with work ranging from Shakespeare to musicals and classics to new plays. Over 60,000 people attend shows here each year. The Watermill's work is also seen on our extensive tours that visit theatres around the UK and abroad as well as work created for the smaller scale, which plays in village halls and rural arts centres.
Set majestically on the banks of the River Thames, The Mill at Sonning celebrates over 30 years of entertainment. Uniquely, as the only dinner-theatre in the UK, it has gained praise both nationally and internationally.
The intimate theatre seats 215 in the semi-round allowing the audience to feel involved in the performance. The elegant restaurant with views over the Thames has the friendliest team of waiters and waitresses. A spinning waterwheel features in the bar.
The Mill is completely self-sufficient. No sponsors, no grants, not a penny of taxpayers' money supports us. We live on your patronage at the Box Office.
The atmosphere is welcoming. The setting is beautiful. The standards are high.
Come and join us!