Malvern Theatres is set to receive up to £20m in Levelling Up funding to develop it into a world-class cultural facility.
Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) submitted the application for the money from the Levelling Up Fund Round Two and has been successful in its bid.
Malvern Theatres attracts around 300,000 visitors each year. It is operated by the charitable body Malvern Theatres Trust and is on a long-term lease from MHDC.
The aim will be to deliver a world-class cultural facility and transform the visitor economy by attracting 135,000 more attendees and boosting the local economy by £11m annually.
The funding will be used to invest in the community, widening access to creative arts and to expand the popular theatre with proposals to build an extension to create a dedicated creative learning space. A further extension is also proposed to accommodate flexible workshop spaces.
As well as this, an external amphitheatre is proposed, an external lift will be installed to improve access and the main theatre will be upgraded to increase capacity.
The popular venue is currently undergoing building works to create a vibrant new entrance, disabled access to the theatre from Grange Road and a new ‘Changing Places’ toilet facility.
Cllr Tom Wells, Leader of MHDC said: “It is wonderful news to hear we have been successful in our bid to transform Malvern Theatres. The funding will level-up access to arts and culture, provide a space for community-focused activities, create life-changing opportunities for young people from various backgrounds and more”.
Nic Lloyd, Chief Executive of Malvern Theatres, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with this award. The development promises an outstanding new facility in the heart of town, offering cultural and educational opportunities to the local and wider community. It will contribute hugely to the local economy for years to come and will cement the position of Malvern Theatres amongst the most celebrated arts centres in the country”.
