The Theatres Trust has announced the recipients of its ninth round of Small Grants Programme funding, awarding a total of £80,000 to 12 community theatres across England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Supported by The Linbury Trust, the Small Grants Programme enables not-for-profit theatres to improve resilience, sustainability, accessibility, and audience diversity.
Among the recipients are venues serving some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities, rural areas, and young people. These include Abbey Theatre Club in Arbroath, Ardhowen Theatre in Enniskillen, ARK in Cliftonville West, Margate, CYTO at The Shoestring in Croydon, Junction in Goole, Louth Riverhead Theatre in Lincolnshire, Lyra Artspace in Edinburgh, and Theatre@41 in York.
Projects funded range from upgrading lighting systems to energy-efficient LEDs, creating accessible performance spaces, and installing smart heating systems to reduce energy consumption.
Two theatres in Lancaster—The Dukes and Lancaster Grand—received grants to improve accessibility for d/Deaf, deafened, and hard-of-hearing audiences. The Dukes will install a WatchWord closed-captioning system and augmented reality glasses, while Lancaster Grand will upgrade to an Auri assistive listening system.
Joshua McTaggart, CEO of Theatres Trust, said:
“The ninth round of our Small Grants Programme will have a wide-reaching impact for a number of theatres deeply rooted in their communities. I’m particularly pleased that we are able to support so many theatres outside of major cultural centres, providing much needed access to the joy of the performing arts for often overlooked communities. The wide range of projects shows that theatre operators are being ambitious and innovative in making the most of their spaces, enabling them to reach more people in their communities, provide a better audience experience, and reduce their environmental impact.”
Stuart Hobley, Director of The Linbury Trust, added:
“Locally-loved theatres thrive on bringing joy and connection to everyone and these grants help to do just that. From improving the thrill of live theatre for people living with a sensory disability, to enabling young people to realise the excitement in discovering their creative potential, all of these theatres are embracing the deep and valuable role they play in modern life.”
The next round of the Small Grants Programme is now open, with applications due by 16 January 2026.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
