Towngate Theatre £279k lifeline grant from government

The Towngate Theatre in Basildon has been awarded £279,713 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future, the Culture Secretary has announced.

The Theatre is one of 588 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support – with £76 million of investment announced today. This follows £257 million awarded earlier in the week to 1,385 organisations, also from the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

The Towngate Theatre is a vital creative hub for Essex and has been central to Basildon’s cultural life, valued by the local communities since 1968. Their programme includes National and International touring concerts, musicals, theatre, dance, opera, stand-up comedy, regional produced community performances and an award winning in-house pantomime. Together, they create an identity for the Towngate that is welcoming and inclusive for audiences, and offers unique opportunities to expand cultural experiences.

Their relationships with local performing arts groups, colleges and schools makes them a valuable hub for developing talent and showcasing community creativity. Their Outreach programmes have further expanded their role in developing opportunities and raising up creative talent through youth theatre activities, summer programmes and workshops with local schools – supporting a pipeline that runs from first exposure to theatre experience, through development of talent, to standing on the big stage.

This vital funding will go towards ensuring that the building is Covid-secure and maximizing Covid-safe activities that will deliver cultural value – including community-led creative programmes, workshops, performances and installations. It will also accelerate digital transformations including E-Ticket scanners and bar-ordering apps to minimise any unnecessary contact. It will also be used for upskilling staff to meet the challenges of the coming months and years, and to deliver a vision for a vibrant and inclusive Theatre.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden said:

“This is more vital funding to protect cultural gems across the country, save jobs and prepare the arts to bounce back. Through Arts Council England we are delivering the biggest ever investment in the arts in record time. Hundreds of millions of pounds are already making their way to thousands of organisations.
“These awards build on our commitment to be here for culture in every part of the country.”

Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said:

“Culture is an essential part of life across the country, helping to support people’s wellbeing through creativity and self-expression, bringing communities together, and fuelling our world class creative industries. “This latest set of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund builds on those announced recently and will help hundreds of organisations to survive the next few months, ensuring that the cultural sector can bounce back after the crisis. We will continue doing everything we can to support artists and cultural and creative organisations, with further funding to be announced in the coming weeks.”

Chair of Basildon Council’s Neighbourhoods and Public Spaces Committee, Councillor David Harrison said:

“The Towngate Theatre is a popular and much loved cultural hub for the town and seeing it through this difficult period for the theatre industry is so important. “I’m grateful our bid for funding has been accepted by the Government to help our wonderful theatre along with other theatres across the country. “This grant is essential in ensuring the sustainability of the Towngate Theatre, and I cannot wait for shows to return there as soon as it is safe to do so.”