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When Lesley Manville worked as an actor in the 1980s, there was a great opportunity for her to work on stage and many choices of shows for audiences to watch. But slowly, over the decades, she unfortunately looked at the theater close to the theater.
It comes as theater owners have been told across the country The independent Of how they are concerned about underfunding every day to jeopardize their theaters. While struggling to keep their venues across the floor, the regional theater may face its final act.
Ms Manville called on better financing for theaters in the UK, as she accepted the best actress at the Olivier Awards for her role in Oedipus In the Wyndham Theater, London.
“Not enough money is being thrown into the regional theater,” she said as she won the award.
She would tell BBCs later Today Program: “It is tragic because those theaters serve their communities. Sometimes it is forbidden to see a play, or a ballet or an opera.
‘And certainly, from a performance point of view, there is less opportunity to work. When I was younger, you had any place to do a play. This is going to be a diminishing discipline, because there is not always the amount of stage work they can do. The arts must be, for our common sense, continue to be funded. ‘
The two-time Olivier winner is not the only actor who is concerned about the downfall of local theaters. Shereener Browne, will appear in Chichester Regional Theater soon The government inspector, Said theaters are essential for the ecosystem of the arts.
“If we do not finance it properly and allow them to thrive, then actors who come up, and also more established actors, do not have the opportunity to thrive – to take risks with their arts and their creativity, which is then the ecosystem to the larger theaters and the West End,” she said The independent.
“I think the risk is that we will have a reduced number of creativities to feed the West End machine, which is great.
‘But even more important and more potentially disastrous, we will lose the stories. We will lose the people who tell the stories that are going on stage on stage. I mean, it’s all good and good for us to have O mommyBut really what people want to see are stories that are echoed and related with them. And it will greatly reduce in numbers if we do not finance the writers, producers, directors and actors to make and create in these smaller spaces. It’s all connected. “
In a survey by the Society of London Theater (Solt) and the British theater in 2024, it is warned that nearly 40 percent of the British theater buildings without urgent investment are closing. Meanwhile, there are 43 theaters who are currently at risk of closing in 2025 – an increase of five from the year before, according to the theaters.
Kathy Bourne, executive director of Chichester Festival Theater, said, “I’m worried about it.”
Underfunding meant that her theater had to be much more selective when it came to new work, she said: ‘How much risk can we take with new work?
‘[Regional theatres are] Brilliant organizations to do new work because we are here to support its development. “
Ms Bourne’s biggest fear is that if the financing is cut, Chichester Festival Theater will have to cut its learning, educational and participation work. It currently has the largest youth theater in the country for more than 900 children.
“They are the audiences of tomorrow,” she said. “If we lose them, we’re nowhere.”
The theater is forced to hold fundraising and a campaign to continue bursary financing for 23 percent of children in the youth theater who would otherwise not have the opportunity to be part of the group.
According to the Campaign for the Arts and the University of Warwick in 2024, the UK was one of the lowest in Europe for government spending on culture in 2024. It was one of the few countries that cut per capita funding between 2010 and 2022.
In February, Solt and Uk Theater reported that if theaters could provide access to the investment they needed, 54 percent more work for their local communities and 62 percent would increase or improve their outreach for work.
Stephanie Sirr, president of the British theater and CEO of Nottingham Playhouse, said the current underfunding could lead to an ‘existential situation’.
“I think the theater sector is so inventive and creative and able to do more with less, that people have forgotten that there will be a bottom point where nothing can be done,” she added.
“It dares a lot for a small part of public spending, and that’s my concern. This is a lot of benefit to a small investment, and what you would lose if you lose it [theatres] is absolutely extraordinary. “
Leicester Curve CEO Chris Stafford said the ‘stopping’ in public funding meant that theaters were unable to build reserves to invest in their theater.
For the Curve Theater, he warned: ‘There is only so long that we can continue without a very urgent cash injection that will be needed, and I look at the next five years, we need at least five million pounds to put in this building.
“I look at our theater, it’s a community center. It is a pivot for many people who live, work and learn on our threshold, and it is my responsibility to make sure that I keep this theater as long and strong as it can. “
Solt and the British theater have called on the government to invest £ 500m over four years in theater buildings and venues to address urgent repairs to prevent closures. They said it would unlock at least another £ 500m to extra private investments, deliver value for money and create jobs.
Mr. Stafford said: “I really believe it is a real investment, because there is absolutely that the public wallet gets a good chance for the economic impact of what we do.”
A spokesman for the DCMS said: ‘We are under no illusions about the financial issues facing the cultural sector and are committed to supporting them during this difficult time.
“More than £ 150m in lottery and taxpayer money went alone to theaters last year and ensuring that theaters around the country could thrive through our recently announced Creative Foundations fund of £ 85m, which is part of the £ 270m art fund, and urgent capital works in theaters.”
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