The Southbank Centre is set to receive £10 million from a capital grant to make critical repairs on the Royal Festival Hall ahead of its 75th birthday celebrations, writes Oliver London…
After 75 years of hosting legendary acts such as Count Basie, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix, the Royal Festival Hall is to receive financial support from the government as a part of their Arts Everywhere Fund.
Last month, we reported that the Southbank Centre’s needed £50 million in overdue maintenance to the venue’s infrastructure. This news came just days after the centre’s eastern buildings, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery were awarded Grade II listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The Grade I listed venue will now receive £10 million that it will put towards the critical maintenance at the Royal Festival Hall, including replacing its broken roof and modernising the auditorium rigging system.
The Southbank Centre was awarded this cash by the Creative Foundations Fund, a capital grant backed by Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that comprises £96 million in funding for creative and cultural organisations in England.
Michelle Walker, the London Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “By supporting these essential improvements this funding will help ensure that these venues remain open, sustainable and accessible for years to come, protecting the creative spaces that London’s artists and audiences rely on.”
The Southbank Centre received the largest portion of the £26 million funding that the CFF grant awarded to 24 London organisations.
This funding arrives ahead of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations that will feature the yearly Meltdown festival, curated by pop icon Harry Styles, and a one-off immersive performance titled ‘You Are Here’ that will celebrate the venue’s artistic legacy.
More details about the Creative Foundation Fund can be found here: Creative Foundations Fund: Guidance for applicants | Arts Council England
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The line-up of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations can be found here: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/our-75th-anniversary
