A grant of £11,000 has been awarded to the Leith Theatre Trust to support business planning, leadership training and a package of consultancy work to strengthen its operation.
Leith Theatre is a Category B listed building, which had been empty from 1988 until 2016, when it partly reopened for pop-up events. There is still much work to be done to enable the building to fully re-open, programme and operate on a permanent basis.
This funding will provide mentoring consultancy works, accounts and leadership training, and a package of consultancy expertise work covering financial, marketing / fundraising, audience development and community membership, and stakeholder engagement.
Leith Theatre is one of six theatres to receive funding through the second round of the Theatres at Risk Capacity Building Programme, run by the national advisory body for theatres. The others are Brighton Hippodrome, Derby Hippodrome, Granada in Walthamstow, Groundings Theatre in Portsmouth and Streatham Hill Theatre.
The programme is designed to support theatres on the Theatres Trust’s Theatres at Risk Register to commission expert advice and acquire the skills and knowledge to push forward capital projects to help save their theatres. Alongside the funding, the theatre will receive support and advice from the Theatres Trust advice team.
Lynn Morrison, Exec Director of Leith Theatre Trust said:
We are delighted to receive this funding and most especially at this time. We are a Theatre at Risk and a business start-up, with major refurbishment and construction needs. This funding allows us to prioritise strategic next steps for Leith Theatre and invest in expertise to work with us to support our business planning. The timing could not be more perfect and will help to build confidence at this time as we plan for what will be a new future.