Liverpool venues' double celebration

Published: 29 January 2017
Reporter: David Upton

Royal Court, Liverpool

A double celebration for two Liverpool venues as redevelopment works commence and further funds are confirmed.

The exchange of contracts between Unity chiefs and contractors Vivark marks the first step in an £845,000 transformation of the theatre and former synagogue, designed by Liverpool architects K2, slated for completion in April.

The handover coincides with the announcement of significant funding news for Unity Theatre, as a further £60,000 in contributions towards the #BuildUnityBetter project have now been confirmed.

The redevelopment of the city centre venue is the first major work to be carried out since 1998 and promises to open up Unity’s spaces to a greater number and broader mix of people, with major alterations being made to public spaces such as the entrance, foyer and first floor bar.

Meanwhile Arts Council England has confirmed Liverpool’s Royal Court has been successful in its bid for £2m from the capital grants funding programme.

The money will be spent on Act III of The Court’s £11m renovation scheme scheduled to take place from May, with the theatre going ‘dark’ until mid August.

Act III will cost £2.9m in total and will include the building of a brand new 150-seat studio space in the basement of the venue which will be used for small-scale comedy and music events as well as small theatre productions which could then be developed for the main auditorium. It will also be used by the Youth Theatre and Community Choir for rehearsals and performances.

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