Struggling Sheffield Theatres handed 'vital lifeline' grant of £2,246,000

Sheffield Theatres are celebrating after scooping a ‘vital lifeline’ grant that will see the city’s cultural beacons through the coronavirus pandemic.
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The company, which oversees Sheffield’s beloved Crucible, Studio and Lyceum theatres, was awarded a hefty £2,246,000 in the latest round of funding from the Government’s £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Theatre bosses said the cash boost would allow the historic venues, which have been forced to close during lockdown, to re-open next year.

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Dan Bates, CEO and Rob Hastie, artistic director, Sheffield Theatres, said they were ‘over the moon’ to receive the grant.

Sheffield Theatres have been handed a lifeline grant.Sheffield Theatres have been handed a lifeline grant.
Sheffield Theatres have been handed a lifeline grant.

They added: "It’s a vital lifeline that will enable us to continue to make bold and brilliant theatre in Sheffield on our stages, in our communities and online, to work with artists and theatre professionals, many of whom have been without work for most of this year.

"This funding will also support us to further adapt our buildings and three performance spaces as we look towards a full reopening next year.

"We are hugely grateful to the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund for this funding and can now look to the future with the security of knowing that this investment will sustain us until March 2021.”

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Sheffield Theatres is one of 35 of the country’s major arts and cultural organisations that have been saved by the most recent chunk of funding.

The announcement builds on £334 million in grants which has been awarded to nearly 2,000 cultural organisations and venues including museums, circuses, festivals and comedy clubs.

Sarah Maxfield, area director North, Arts Council England said: “The pandemic has had a massive impact on the whole range of organisations working in the North’s cultural sector - theatres, music venues, festivals, museums and the companies who support them with technical sound, light and staging services.

"The cultural sector makes a huge contribution to the North’s economy, quality of life and communities.

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"Today we are announcing much needed investment and support from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund to a group of organisations across the North - with more announcements in the coming weeks - providing an essential lifeline so the cultural sector can survive and come back strongly in the future.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.