The new three-year partnership will provide our costume makers with a regular supply of Coats thread, and the two companies will collaborate on creating new design innovations. Coats’ expertise in threads, yarns and fabrics brings new opportunities to explore in costume design.

We are announcing a new three-year partnership between Coats and the RSC, which will see the world's leading industrial thread manufacturer become our Official Thread Supplier, as well as working with us to create new costume design innovations.

Their thread is used in costumes and millinery for the RSC stage, with pieces often featuring in over 100 performances in Stratford-upon-Avon and worldwide. You may have seen some of the costumes in films and television, including Shakespeare in Love, Braveheart and Gladiator.

Every month, Coats produces enough thread to stretch all the way to the sun, with more than 450 million pairs of shoes made each year with their thread.

Coats will also support the Stitch In Time campaign, which is raising money to redevelop our Costume Workshop, the largest in British theatre. The new workshop will be designed to provide the best environment for costume-making, while also conserving the buildings' heritage and opening up new training opportunities.

Our Executive Director Catherine Mallyon said: "We are so pleased to have Coats as our Official Thread Supplier and as a supporter of our Stitch In Time campaign for the restoration and redevelopment of our Costume Workshop. It is fantastic to partner with a world class company, whose heritage, skills and innovation expertise combine so well with our commitment to excellence and attention to detail."