Theatre

The Swan Theatre in Worcester has been added to a list of organisations set to benefit from a share of £5m of Levelling Up funding after Worcester City Council (WCC) was given an extension on submitting its spending plans.

The council was originally expected to deliver its final plan on 10 May, but the deadline has been moved to 3 June.

The original spending strategy included awarding £1.6m to create space for more events and exhibitions at the Corn Exchange, £900,000 to create a sustainable events venue at Pitchcroft and £742,000 to refurbish the Gheluvelt Park bandstand.

In its updated proposal, which was put before the Policy and Resources Committee on 23 April, the council has added a £155,000 grant to The Swan Theatre to improve the foyer and accessibility, including a new lift, accessible toilet, and changing facilities.

Just two years ago, The Swan was saved from closure after Worcester City Council scrapped plans to sell it off to fund a multimillion-pound project to build a new arts venue in the city on the site of the listed Scala Theatre and Corn Exchange buildings.

Other projects added to WCC's Levelling Up proposals include £65,000 for a mobile music vehicle £65,000, £350,000 to acquire a building as office and storage space for the Scala, and £22,000 on a portable outdoor stage.

Derry’s Waterside Theatre has announced it will close at the end of June due to a lack of funds.

The 372-capacity theatre was told earlier this month that it would no longer receive annual funding from Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).

The theatre's Chief Executive Iain Barr said the decision to close followed “careful consideration by the board and management of the organisation”.

It will use its reserves to fulfil diary commitments until 30 June.

Barr said Waterside had "received annual funding support for a long number of years" and that ACNI was its main funder. 

The theatre opened in 2001 in a converted factory building. It also has a gallery space, full-screen cinema, conference rooms and a cafe.

ACNI said that although the theatre's application for annual funding had been unsuccessful, it would continue to be "open to discussions on future sources of funding support".

Bolton Octagon has announced that it will offer £4 tickets to local residents on Universal Credit, Pension Credit or living in low-income households who want to attend the theatre.

Launching this month, the scheme will see 1,000 tickets each year made available at £4, in addition to the venue's existing offer of £15 tickets on 10% of seats for Octagon shows.

“Our audiences tell us what fantastic value for money the Octagon is, but we know that for some people, the price can still be a barrier and especially during the cost-of-living crisis,” said Octagon Chief Executive Roddy Gauld.

“With this new scheme, fantastic seats will be available for just £4. We want as many people as possible to enjoy the magic of live theatre, and this is just one of the many ways we’re working to enrich our communities with fun, creativity and excitement.”

The Irish Arts Council and Arts Council Northern Ireland have announced a one-off €400,000 (£342,500) award for “an exceptional theatre production” in the Irish language, the single largest grant from either funding body. 

The successful applicant will work closely with an evaluator which will assess the scheme's outcomes to "refine the approach in the long term". 

Applications will open on 7 May and close on 6 June 2024. The award will run for at least three years and applications will be invited again in 2025 and 2026.

Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said the "ground-breaking initiative" demonstrated the two councils' commitment to "supporting artistic endeavours that transcend borders, uniting communities through the universal language of the arts".

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Irish Arts Council, added: "This initiative underscores our firm commitment to nurturing artistic expression in the Irish language, fostering creativity and providing rich cultural experiences for all.”

Staffordshire University has teamed up with the Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford to give students a chance to get involved in productions on and off stage.

The BBC reports that under the scheme, drama students will be guaranteed an audition for the theatre's annual Shakespeare production.

In addition, students on other creative industry courses will be encouraged to try out backstage and technical roles.

Deborah Sanderson, Head of Strategic Marketing at Staffordshire University, said the scheme has the potential to "open doors" for students and graduates to get experience of the backstage environment and meet the people behind productions.