Theatres call for £56.7m energy fund from next government

A government grant scheme worth £56.7m should be introduced to support theatres to make ‘quick win’ power-saving adaptations, the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre have said.

As part of a range of recommendations being made ahead of the next general election, the organisations said the establishment of a Theatre Energy Efficiency Grant Scheme would help support around half of UK theatres (472 venues) through grants ranging from £50,000 to £300,000, depending on the venue size.

They estimate this would save a combined £4.3m and £6.2m per annum across all recipients depending on the future price of energy. This would mean the initial outlay would be recouped in between nine and 13 years.

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Grants would be used to help venues make immediate energy efficiency adaptations, such as installing LED lighting rigs.

In addition to the Energy Efficiency Scheme, the manifesto calls on politicians to commit to providing all children the opportunity to see a professional production in a theatre before they leave school. It also calls for the higher rate of theatre tax relief to be retained on a permanent basis.

"Theatres create cultural and economic value for the communities they serve, working in symbiosis with our hospitality and tourism sectors," the manifesto document states.

"They are much more than entertainment venues, they are cultural anchors for communities, playing a central role in levelling up, bringing people together to share experiences and connect.

"The measures outlined above are carefully targeted to enable theatre organisations to navigate the challenges ahead, drawing on existing interventions that have been shown to stimulate economic growth, boost tax returns and encourage the return of audiences.

"Our energy grant scheme proposal represents an opportunity to fast-track efforts to decarbonise the arts, whilst cutting energy bills for half of England’s theatres."