The national public advisory body for theatre has now awarded a further £155,265 of grants to help
theatres with costs of Covid-secure reopening.

Awarded as part of the final round of Reopening Fund Grants, the Theatres Trust has now managed to help support  75 theatres across the UK with grants totalling £301,873. These grants will help theatres with costs of Covid-secure reopening, including changes to the building to reduce congestion, improvements to ventilation systems and simple measures like installing hand sanitisers and screens.

The theatres that have been supported in this round of grants include producing theatres such as Hampstead Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath as well as major receiving houses Capital Theatres and Worthing Theatres, venues specialising in dance (Northern Ballet), new writing (Traverse, New Diorama, Gate Theatre) and one of the country’s few puppet theatres, Upfront Theatre. Community
theatres across the country have received grants, including young people-focused Blue Elephant
Theatre and Hanger Farm Arts Centre, which works with people with learning disabilities.

Meanwhile, the Theatres Trust has also given funds to to help reopen every type of theatre building, including the
country’s last remaining Regency theatre, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, theatres in converted
cinemas (People’s Theatre and Blackburn Empire) and former churches (Headgate Theatre and
Lowestoft Players Theatre), pub theatres (Jack Studio Theatre), outdoor theatre (Rutland Open
Air) and even a travelling theatre in the form of Paines Plough.

The Theatre Reopening Fund has been made possible thanks to the generous support of funders:
Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Charles Michael Holloway Charitable Trust, Judy Craymer CBE,
Soho Estates, The Basil Samuel Charitable Trust, The Foyle Foundation, The Mackintosh
Foundation, The Pilgrim Trust, The Swire Charitable Trust, Theatre Royal, Haymarket and Theatre
Super Auction.

Talking about the news, Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan said: “We are beginning to look forward to a time when
theatres can reopen, welcome audiences back inside and continue to play a vital role in their
communities. It has been a difficult year, but Theatres Trust is pleased to have been able to support
so many theatres through this grant scheme as well as our free advice service and the #SaveOurTheatres Crowdfunding campaign.”

To find out more about the work of the Theatre’s Trust visit: http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/