St Albans-based theatre company OVO has been awarded a £300,000 grant from the government’s Community Ownership Fund to create a new theatre in the city.
The grant will enable OVO to renovate and convert the derelict 18th century St Germain’s Barn and the adjacent disused sports pavilion, St Michael’s Changing Rooms, into a performance space.
The building will also be available for local community use. Both are owned by St Albans council and are adjacent to the Verulamium Museum in St Albans.
The new theatre will be close to the Roman Theatre of St Albans, where OVO has been running its Roman Theatre Open Air Festival since 2014.
OVO aims to complete the conversion by the end of next year, with the new theatre opening in 2025.