Theatres Trust Awards £49k to 10 UK Theatres To Help Sustainability and Viability

Through its partnership with The Linbury Trust, Theatres Trust is awarding £49,476 across 10 theatres from its Small Grants Programme, which supports the UK's not-for-profit theatres to make essential repairs and improvements to enhance accessibility, sustainability measures and facilities. Projects in this round of grants focus on improving theatres' accessibility as well as urgent repairs and maintenance works, all of which are essential to the ongoing viability of the nation's theatres, and which will help create better, more welcoming spaces.

With Theatres Trust funding, York Theatre Royal will buy equipment to capture immersive recordings of live performances and will deliver them using virtual reality technology. This is a cutting-edge digital project aimed at those facing barriers to attending the theatre in person, making shows more widely accessible.

Bracknell's South Hill Park Arts Centre, Malvern Cube Community and Arts Centre and The Space on the Isle of Dogs have been awarded funding to improve front of house accessibility for audiences. The Y Theatre in Leicester will use funding to address accessibility issues for performers and crew backstage.

Making the theatre experience more welcoming, Newcastle's Northern Stage will install innovative sustainable panels in its foyer to reduce general noise levels. In Northern Ireland, The Derry Playhouse will refurbish its bathroom facilities.

Dundee Rep Theatre will replace ventilation in its studio, maintaining conditions required for dancers while better managing energy usage in the venue. Theatres Trust has also given grants for essential projects to support the ongoing viability of Theatre Royal Wakefield and Plaza Theatre Romsey.

Jon Morgan, Director of Theatres Trust, comments, The wide array of projects funded this round show the many challenges that theatres continue to face. We are pleased to be able to help these theatres with projects that protect future use, remove barriers to participation and attendance, and make them more welcoming spaces.

Stuart Hobley, Director of The Linbury Trust, comments, We're very pleased to be supporting this work through our partnership with Theatres Trust. They set out the very important role our theatres play in contributing to local community life, and as places for everyone to enjoy.

The next round of the Small Grants Programme supported by The Linbury Trust is now open for applications with a deadline of 13 January 2023.

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