Mayflower Theatre

2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the historic voyage of the Mayflower ship from the UK to the 'New World' of America. The anniversary will commemorate the legacy of the passengers and crew who undertook the epic journey inspired by an unquenchable desire for freedom; and for whom the voyage promised newfound liberty. The International Mayflower Compact partnership has been created to align 11 core UK member destinations across England, alongside the United States of America, the Native American community and the Netherlands. The international Mayflower compact partners are united in their passion to commemorate the anniversary and to celebrate shared values of freedom, democracy, humanity and the future. The 11 UK destinations are working together for the first time. Each with their own unique connection to the story, a new 'Mayflower Trail' has been developed for visitors to explore. During 2020, destinations will stage a world class events and cultural programme to commemorate the journey of the Mayflower Pilgrims. The cultural programme will unite communities, inspire creativity, drive economic growth, enhance the visitor experience and promote understanding and education of this pivotal moment in history. The commemorations will recognise the impact of the Mayflower's journey on Native American communities and address themes of migration, tolerance, freedom and democracy that have such contemporary relevance, as well as the longstanding relationship between the UK and the US and the history of Thanksgiving, ensuring the Mayflower's legacy lives on. There are over 35 million descendants of the passengers and crew who sailed on the Mayflower. The Mayflower 400 UK national visitor project aims to reach out to the descendants and other ancestral tourists to invite them to visit England and be a part of the anniversary year.