Labour warns of closure risks for theatres

Local theatres are facing closure due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and years of government 'neglect', Labour has warned.

Speaking at the launch of the latest edition of the Theatres Trust's Theatres at Risk Register today Barbara Keeley, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Arts, said a combination of factors have left theatres "under threat like never before".

She said that having weathered the challenges of the Covid pandemic, theatres are now grappling with increased energy and operating costs and a cost-of-living squeeze on their audiences. 

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"Labour has always recognised the value of theatres in acting as vibrant cultural and community hubs", she said ahead of the event.

"Local theatres provide jobs, boost local businesses and offer world-class performances that can delight, stimulate and inspire.

"But the cost of living crisis means it could be the final curtain for some, with theatres under threat like never before.

"A decade of Conservative Government failure makes a farce of levelling up, with areas like the Midlands and the North West hit the hardest."

Keeley said Labour would attempt to address the issue by growing the economy and pushing for a "clean energy revolution" via a £700m scheme for organisations to invest in energy-saving technology to cut costs in the long term.

Keeley's warning comes despite three theatres being removed from the Theatres Trust's Risk Register this year, as they are no longer considered at risk.

However it has said that the 38 theatres remaining on the register face major sector-wide challenges of the ongoing effects from the pandemic, cost-of-living-crisis and energy crisis.

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan said: "As the true impact of rising construction and energy costs, cost-of-living crisis and squeezed council budgets becomes known, the challenge to secure the futures of Theatres at Risk will be more difficult than ever and there is a real fear that more operational theatres may become ‘at risk’. 

"However, despite the difficulties, local support and collaborative working still pays off and the opportunities these buildings offer their communities are immense."