£50,000 GRANT TO HELP THEATRE ROYAL MEET EXTRA COSTS
Written by author on January 13, 2016
COUNCILLORS have agreed to make a £50,000 contribution to the Theatre Royal at Dumfries to help with unforeseen costs.
The request for the funding was received from the Master of the Guild of Players of Dumfries for the Theatre Royal project after renovation work on Scotland’s oldest working theatre rose from the expected £1.9 million to over £2 million
At the meeting of Economy, Environment and Infrastructure committee on Tuesday councillors approved a contribution of £50,000 for the Theatre Royal.
The Council’s Policy and Resources Committee agreed a grant of £455,000 to the Guild of Players towards the Theatre Royal project in May 2013. The grant was made from a reserve created in 2006 to assist with theatrical development in Dumfries.
The decision took into account a consultants’ report from EKOS, which made reference to the unique status of the Theatre Royal in Dumfries, the asset condition, the significant additional funding available from Holywood Trust and other funders, and the potential to consolidate provision within an expanded Theatre Royal building envelope. EKOS’s recommendation to award grant was based on a number of conditions requiring the Guild to engage more widely in supporting the delivery of the arts in Dumfries and Galloway.
When the Policy and Resources Committee agreed the funding in May 2013, the total project budget at that time was estimated at being £1.905M. The project is now nearing completion, but with final projected spend now £2.110M.
This is due to unforeseen structural issues, specifically the interior walls and ceilings of the original auditorium which deteriorated rapidly as the building began to dry out, significantly increased Mechanical and Engineering costs, and an increase in water connection/disconnection charges.
