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The Scottish Government has awarded £1.5 million towards refurbishing the 140-year-old Citizens Theatre in Glasgow.
The category B-listed building is set to undergo major works to improve accessibility, protect its unique Victorian features and create a new studio, rehearsal and learning space as well as a new café and bar.
The total cost of the redevelopment is £19.4m. The Scottish Government's funding will come from Culture budget and is a Programme for Government commitment. It follows £500,000 of funding from Historic Environment Scotland and £2.5 million of Scottish Government Capital Grant Funding already announced. Other funders include Glasgow City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Robertson Trust and a range of other trusts and individuals.
The project, which is part of the Gorbals regeneration programme, is scheduled for completion in 2020.
Visiting the theatre to announce the funding, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "The Citizens Theatre is of significant architectural importance, and has been a much-loved venue in the south of Glasgow for more than 100 years. It is also one of Scotland’s flagship producing theatres, with an international reputation for inspirational and unique live performances.
"The refurbishment will help to protect the building for future generations, as well as increasing accessibility. I am pleased that, in addition to other confirmed funding from Scottish Government, we can now announce a further £1.5 million towards securing the future of the theatre and transforming the experiences of audiences, participants and performers."
Dominic Hill, Artistic Director of the Citizens Theatre, said: "We thank the Scottish Government for their support of £1.5 million from the Culture budget towards our transformational redevelopment project. This funding, for our Victorian home in the Gorbals, is vital to our success. It will help to ensure that we can continue to enhance and transform lives through performance and participation that everyone can access for decades to come."
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