Theatre awarded £3m in funding from council
An artist’s impression of the Yvonne Arnaud theatre after renovations
- Published
A theatre in Surrey has been awarded £3m from a local council to carry out accessibility works.
The Yvonne Arnaud theatre, in Guildford, said it will use the money from Surrey County Council's Your Fund Surrey project to keep the venue at the centre of the community.
Director Joanna Read said arts are "critically important" to support health and wellbeing, as well as building "cohesive communities".
"It’s good to have the backing of our county council as we continue our work bringing excellent theatre, arts engagement and invaluable creative learning opportunities to the people of Surrey," she added.
Nancy Hannigan, the theatre's audience engagement assistant, said the funding will be used to "substantially improve" the accessibility of the 1960s venue, and maximise spaces for "creative learning, outreach, and community group use".
The total cost for the project will be £5.82m, with £1.2m so far raised through individual donations, legacy gifts and designations of the trust's reserves.
With the additional £3m from Your Fund Surrey, there will be £1.62m to raise through the Play Your Part campaign.
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