Twenty one theatres receive a share of £100k from Theatres Trust.
Theatres Trust, the national advisory and advocacy body for theatres, has announced the latest theatres to receive grants through its Small Grants Programme with The Linbury Trust. In the eighth round of the scheme, 21 community theatres received grants of up to £5,000 to support vitally important projects. The programme funds not-for-profit theatres to deliver small projects that make a big difference to their resilience, sustainability, and accessibility, or to increase the diversity of their audiences.
The Corn Exchange in Newbury has received funding to install a new live-audio accessibility system, which can be used by hearing-impaired audience members with their own smartphones. Arts Centre Washington in Sunderland and The Y Centre in Leicester will both install hearing loops in their venues. Projects to make buildings more accessible are being funded at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City, Little Angel Theatre in London, and The Place Theatre in Bedford. Funding will also support The Old Market in Hove and digital updates are also being funded at CatStrand in Castle Douglas, Scotland, and Kidz r Us in Tredegar, Wales.
Environmental sustainability projects funded include LED upgrades and replacing boilers at the Ilkley Playhouse, Millgate Arts Centre in Saddleworth, Oldham, Pound Arts Centre in Corsham, and the Puppet Theatre Barge in London. This funding will allow Glusburn Institute Community and Arts Centre in Yorkshire to transform a disused education room into a versatile, mixed-use space. Eccles Town Hall and Northern Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Hull both received grants and The Cut in Halesworth, Half Moon Young People's Theatre and Theatre Peckham, both in London, Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield, and St Joseph's Hall in Leigh have all been awarded funding for essential repairs and safety projects.
The next round of the Small Grants Programme is currently open for applications with a deadline of Friday 6 June 2025.
Further Information: Theatres Trust - Theatres Fit for the Future