Small Grants Programme awards £58k+ grants as future funding confirmed

We are delighted to support 13 more theatres through the Small Grants Programme and to announce that The Linbury Trust will fund the programme for another three years.

Projects funded in this round of grants focus on improving theatres’ accessibility and sustainability as well as urgent repairs and maintenance works that are essential to ongoing viability.

Accessibility

Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre will install a Changing Places toilet as part of its major redevelopment programme, making the venue accessible to all for the first time in its history. Liverpool’s Royal Court will purchase 35 devices to enable people with hearing and visual impairments and who do not have a smartphone access the assistive hearing systems or audio described performances, making productions in main house and studio theatre more accessible.  Brookside Theatre in Romford and Seven Dials Playhouse in London will both make improvements to their box offices to be accessible and more welcoming to all audiences.

Historic theatre auditorium of the Citizens Theatre, viewed from the stage showing seating in stalls and dress circle with ornate plasterwork.

Sustainability

Omnibus Theatre in Clapham will upgrade its air conditioning and heating unit while Warminster Athenaeum will install a new ventilation system, both projects making the respective venues more comfortable for audiences and performers.  Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds will replace its existing downlighters with LED alternatives that meet current safety standards.  The Old Library Bodmin will install insulation on the roof its historic building.  All of these projects will support the theatres to be more energy efficient and make vital cost savings.

Exterior of Old Library Bodmin

Urgent repairs and maintenance

The Garage in Norwich, Hackney Empire and The Robin Hood Theatre in Newark have all been awarded grants to carry out urgent repairs to their building’s roof.  Newport’s Dolman Theatre will install WiFi across the whole building and improve its security system, while Sheppey Little Theatre has secured funding to repair its emergency lighting.  These are all essential projects that enable the theatres to remain open and serving their local communities.

Hackney Empire auditorium

Download the press release.

Thanks to our funders

The first year of the Small Grants Programme has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Linbury Trust, as well as donations from Judy Craymer CBE and Charles Michael Holloway Charitable Trust.

The Linbury Trust has committed to funding the scheme for a further three years, with funding totalling £300,000.

Next round 

The next round of the Small Grants Programme with The Linbury Trust is now open for applications with a deadline of Tuesday 3 May. Find out more about the scheme and how to apply.

The Linbury Trust

Photos:

  • Citizens Theatre by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
  • The Old Library Bodmin courtesy of Into Bodmin
  • Hackney Empire by Mark Senior

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