The Lyric Theatre wins a grant to help with the safe reopening.
In August, specialist plastic sheeting supplier Plastic Sheets Shop launched a Protective Screen Grant to provide £2,000 worth of protective screens and related products, split evenly between the two recipients.
Today the Lyric Theatre, one of Northern Ireland’s best loved performance venues, has announced that it is one of the recipients of this important grant is.
Founded in 1951, The Lyric Theatre is Northern Ireland’s only full time producing theatre. With two performance spaces available, the 389 seat Danske Bank Stage and a 170 seat studio space, the Lyric Theatre is able to consistently put on a wide range of performances and events to suit all tastes, whether it’s a family musical or a new and exciting play written by homegrown talent.
A spokesperson for the The Lyric Theatre in Belfast said: “We are hugely grateful for this private fund award of £1,000 towards equipment costs associated with re-opening the theatre to the public in the near future.
“As the key producing theatre in Northern Ireland, we form a part of one of the hardest hit sectors of the country during this pandemic, and as we are facing further funding struggles along with uncertainty around when we can open our doors again, gestures such as this go a long way to helping us get one step closer to getting back to work. Thanks to all at Plastic Sheets Shop for this award.”
The second recipient of the grant was Hope Mill Theatre, an independent venue in Manchester, showcasing a wide range of musicals, plays and concerts.
Plastic Sheets Shop Managing Partner Jonathan Opdam said: “Many beloved venues around the UK are forced to operate on small budgets year after year, but with the challenges of cancelled productions and reduced capacity, Covid-19 has increased the struggle theatre’s face even more so.
“We hope that this grant can make a small difference for the Lyric Theatre, helping them both to maximise their capacity based on current guidelines and bring performances back to the stage as quickly and safely as possible.”
