A NEW business breakfast was held at Coventry’s Albany Theatre last Friday, giving visitors got to witness first-hand the progress on the £3million development works.
The Albany Theatre is looking to grow support from businesses and develop partnerships to help bring its Arts for Life vision to fruition in this exciting next stage.
The venue started life as part of Coventry Technical College in 1935 and survived the 1940 Coventry Blitz. It became one of the first two theatres in the country to host a repertory theatre company supported by the new Arts Council in 1945.
The theatre shut down when the college moved across the city in 2008 and was then rescued by a passionate team of volunteers – it is now well on the way to securing a secure financial future, but there is more to do to get over the line.
The new developments, opening in phases between September and December, will create two dedicated studio theatres, two further flexible spaces, a new café/bar and improved audience and community facilities.
The theatre successfully fought closure in 2020 before winning a grant of almost £3million from Coventry City Council.
With the redevelopment will come expansion of their learning and participation programmes, which will play a critical role as a creative hub in the city, enabling access to the arts for all.
Kevin Shaw, the Albany Theatre Trust’s chief executive and artistic director, said: “This next chapter is going to be thrilling.
“We attract tens of thousands of theatre-goers and engage with many more thousands of local participants, including over 4,500 children and young people who perform on our stage every year. Support from local businesses is invaluable to us and them. Partnerships and sponsorship is mutually beneficial, particularly for local businesses that want to make a difference.”
Visit albanytheatre.co.uk for more information.
