New Wolsey Theatre is based in Ipswich and is an independent not-for-profit organisation. They are funded by Arts Council England as one of its National Portfolio Organisations and receive local funding from Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council as well as other project funding from a variety of sources. New Wolsey Theatre is a mid-scale theatre with a mixed performance programme that combines in-house with touring productions. It has a diverse audience, a strong commitment to access and reaching parts of the community not normally engaged in the arts. This is complemented by a strong business model based on a policy of maximising earned income, especially through ticket sales, and innovative funding. Ipswich is a town with 127.000 population, a mix of ‘rural bliss’, ‘gentrified areas’ new build family housing and older working class areas. Fans of the local football club Ipswich Town are known as the ‘Tractor Boy’ indicating how the town has historically been perceived (tractors are farm vehicles).