Theatres Protection Fund Makes New Grants

Published: 30 January 2013
Reporter: Howard Loxton

The Theatres Trust

The Theatres Trust has announced a second round of grants under the Fund’s Small Grants Scheme. A total of £24,535 goes to support small, high-impact capital projects at six theatres that include regional and London-based theatres run by professional and amateur companies and the Fund’s first award to a theatre in Wales.

The recipients are:

  • Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells in Wales receives £5,000 for urgent repairs to its north riverside elevation.
  • Bush Theatre in London receives £5,000 to install new boilers and make much needed modifications to its heating system.
  • Robin Hood Theatre, Averham, near Newark receives £5,000 towards urgent electrical rewiring needed to reopen and restore the venue.
  • Hackney Empire, London receives £4,934 towards essential repairs to remove buddleia and repair the front façade of this East London Grade II* theatre and make the modern roof extension watertight.
  • The Citadel in St Helens receives £2.401.50 to upgrade its badly degraded exterior promotional boxes and maximise marketing potential.
  • Royal Court Theatre Bacup receives £2,200 towards urgent building repairs to its backstage areas.

Mhora Samuel, Director of The Theatres Trust, said, “I’m delighted that we are able to help these six theatres with small grants from the Theatres Protection Fund particularly as the competition has been so strong. Since we started in May 2012 over 55 theatres have applied with projects totalling £225,527—but we only have £50,660 to distribute this year.

"The support from Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and Judy Craymer MBE has been fantastic and made a real difference. Now we really need the help of others who would like to make a donation to the Fund and play their part to protect our much-loved theatres.”

The Small Grants Scheme helps theatres in need and at risk to address urgent building repairs, improve their operational viability, introduce environmental improvements and enhance physical accessibility. The Theatres Protection Fund is run by The Theatres Trust.

First round grant recipients included: The Royal Court Liverpool, Soho Theatre London, Sleaford Playhouse, Wilton’s Music Hall London, Oldham Coliseum and the Half Moon Young People’s Theatre London.

*Some links, including Amazon, Stageplays.com, ATG Tickets, LOVEtheatre, BTG Tickets, Ticketmaster, The Ticket Factory, LW Theatres and QuayTickets, are affiliate links for which BTG may earn a small fee at no extra cost to the purchaser.

Are you sure?