Mackintosh Foundation Helps Launch New London Theatres Small Grants Scheme

LONDON, August 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

The Mackintosh Foundation is to donate £25,000 to launch the new London Theatres Small Grants Scheme, set up by The Theatres Trust to help small theatres in London needing to improve and maintain their buildings.

The Theatres Trust has been working with the Mayor of London's Office to set up the London Theatres Small Grants Scheme, which is a dedicated capital fund to help small theatres lever in other sources of investment, particularly philanthropic support.

It follows the London Assembly investigation led by Tom Copley AM into the challenges facing the capital's small theatres. The investigation found that over 75% are in need of capital investment for major repairs or upgrades, but have limited capacity to secure the funding they urgently need.

The Mackintosh Foundation is the first organisation to make a donation to the London Theatres Small Grants Scheme, which will offer grants of up to £5,000 to small theatres across London. The Mackintosh Foundation hopes other organisations and individuals will match its contribution and help provide a much needed new injection of capital funding for small theatres in London.

The Theatres Trust will accept applications for small capital projects up to £5,000 from small independent, commercial, subsidised and amateur theatres (including open air venues), that are under 300-seats in Zones 1 and 2 and under 500-seats in outer London.

Applications are currently open for the first round of the London Theatres Small Grants Scheme. Closing date for applications is 21 October 2015. The first round of applications will be considered in December 2015.

For quotes from Sir Cameron Mackintosh (Mackintosh Foundation), Boris Johnson (Mayor of London), Tom Copley AM (rapporteur for the London Assembly's Economy Committee's report into small theatres) and Tim Eyles (Chair of The Theatres Trust) please view the full Press Release.

For more information about The Theatres Trust's London Theatres Small Grants Scheme visit http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/grants/london-theatres-small-grants-scheme

Press contact: Kate Carmichael, Resources Adviser, The Theatres Trust, kate.carmichael@theatrestrust.org.uk +44-(0)20-7836-8591