Arts Council announces £96 million of grants for theatre and venue infrastructure

A total of 130 cultural venues, museums and libraries in England are to receive millions in government funding, with a number of theatre organisations among the recipients.

The funding forms part of the Arts Everywhere Fund, a wider £1.5 billion package supporting cultural infrastructure projects. The latest round, administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, includes investment in theatres, performing arts venues and cultural buildings.

Among the theatre organisations to receive support are the Lowry, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Royal Shakespeare Company. The funding is intended to support building works, improve access and upgrade facilities.

The Creative Foundations Fund accounts for £96 million of the total £127.8 million announced today and supports 74 arts and cultural organisations, including theatres and performance venues.

The Lowry has been awarded £8.5 million for infrastructure work, including replacing escalators with lifts to improve access across its spaces. Stratford East will receive £1.75 million for building upgrades and essential systems.

Other theatre and performance organisations funded through the same scheme include Southbank Centre, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Kiln Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Scarborough Theatre Trust. Regional venues including Hull Truck Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Watermill Theatre are also included.

In the South East, The Hexagon has been awarded £2,068,000, while Brighton Dome will receive £468,701 to update systems within its concert hall.

The funding also extends beyond theatres, with separate allocations through the Museum Estate and Development Fund and the Libraries Improvement Fund. These include investment in institutions such as Black Country Living Museum and Derbyshire Libraries, although the primary focus of the Creative Foundations Fund remains on performance and cultural venues.