Theatres Trust responds to ACE National Portfolio decisions

Arts Council England has announced details of its 2023-26 Investment Programme, providing funding of £446m per year to 990 organisations.

In Arts Council England’s most over-subscribed investment round to date, the news for the theatre sector was always going to be mixed.

Theatres Trust welcomes the greater diversity in the portfolio including more newly funded organisations and more venues outside of London. It is good to see theatres including Buxton Opera House, North Devon Theatres, Octagon Theatre in Yeovil, Shakespeare North in Prescot, Stanley Halls in Croydon and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds becoming National Portfolio Organisations. We also welcome the significant uplift in funding awarded to organisations including the Belgrade in Coventry, Blackpool Grand, The Customs House in South Shields, Royal Court Liverpool and Brixton House, Kiln and Tara Theatre in London.

We appreciate that Arts Council England has tried to limit the number of cuts needed by adding lottery funding to the investment pot, but we are disappointed that several excellent theatres have had their funding significantly or entirely cut. This is the inevitable result of the reduction in real terms of the grant in aid to Arts Council England over the past decade. We recognise why Arts Council England has had to make these difficult decisions and the need increase spending in regions outside of London, which we welcome. Theatres contribute so much to the nation, to our cultural life, placemaking and the economy. Everyone should have access to a vibrant theatre where they live and should not be this ‘either/or’ choice between the capital and regional theatres.

It is also worth noting that for the majority of NPO theatres there has been a standstill in funding, which given the current context of rising inflation and soaring energy costs, equates to a real terms cut. So even for those theatres that were successful, there will still be difficult times ahead.

Read the full details of the funding on Arts Council England website.

Any theatres who need support following this decision, our free advice service is available to offer help.

Photo: Stanley Halls in Croydon