Preparing for Capital Developments

A capital project is a major undertaking and usually takes many years of planning and detailed preparatory work. It is probably something your venue will only do once in a generation, so it is important to get it right and make the most of the opportunity.

We are hosting a pair of webinars for theatres that want to prepare for a capital project, whether you already have one planned or it is something you aspire to for the future.

With central government recently announcing that Arts Council England’s Creative Foundations Fund will be extended for another four years for arts organisations in England, and Arts Council of Wales’ recent £8m Capital Investment Fund for 2025-26, it is clear that the sector’s needs are acutely evident across the UK, which the Theatres Trust is lobbying for ongoing support for. Hopefully a regular capital fund from Welsh Government is also implemented and similar funding will be announced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, enabling more theatres to be able to carry out much-needed capital development and refurbishment projects.

Theatr Clwyd has recently reopened following a multi-million-pound redevelopment project, which had the support of Flintshire County Council, Welsh Government and the Arts Council of Wales. Andrew Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at Theatr Clwyd, will talk about the journey the organisation went on in the pre-funding phase. He will talk about the significant milestones of the project, how the team managed uncertainty, the importance of defining a clear artistic and civic vision early on, and why this preparation phase was so essential.

Drawing on his extensive experience of theatre capital projects of all scales, Jack Tilbury, Director of multi-disciplinary consultancy Plann, will offer his top tips on what you need to consider and have in place when considering a capital redevelopment project.

Lynsey Rowe, Senior Officer – Capital Advice and Support at Arts Council England, will give an overview of what organisations need to do before making their application to give themselves the best chance of progressing. While Lynsey will draw on the experiences of running the first round of the Creative Foundations Fund, this advice will be useful in preparing applications to any major capital funder. Similarly, Andrew Richards, Head of Business Development at Arts Council of Wales will talk about Welsh Government’s arts capital funding commitment for 2026/27, the Council’s funding priorities and offer guidance to prospective applicants on how they can prepare for a capital project in the future, whether that is strengthening project governance, clarifying organisational goals or factoring in procurement timescales and processes.