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More dim projections have materialised about the perilous state of theatres around the country.

According to Theatres Trust, 57% of small theatres in the UK could fail without government support, possibly resulting in as many as 136 small local theatre operators going into administration within just three months.

Almost 40% of all the UK's theatres are small local venues and more than half of these - around 240 - are run by small charities of which 38% have only one month's reserves and 19% only have three months' reserves.

Without additional government support, many may have to permanently close their doors.

However, Theatres Trust has announced an initiative to provide extra support for small theatres in this extraordinary time of existential crisis.

The package consists of:

- taking on an additional adviser to help small theatres with business planning, budgeting and cashflow, fundraising and essential building maintenance.

- creating a new Theatres Trust Skills Bank to match theatres with experts willing to offer pro bono advice on preparing to reopen including hygiene and social distancing needs and general property management.

- repurposing its small grants programme to support theatres to cover the additional costs of reopening, including making adaptations for increased hygiene and social distancing measures.

Focusing on the importance of small local theatres as community centres as well as places of entertainment, Theatres Trust is also lobbying the government to ensure theatres are still there for communities around the UK to return to when the crisis is over.

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan commented ...

"These are tough times for the theatre sector and we are talking to the government about the additional support theatres need, but we hope that with these resources we can help more theatres to survive the current crisis.

We have already seen some operators go into administration and unfortunately others are likely to follow, but Theatres Trust has a strong track record of supporting theatres to be saved and returned to cultural use and is working to ensure that no theatres are permanently lost due to Covid-19."

Alongside its new initiatives, Theatres Trust is also calling for the government to invest in the theatre sector, including extending the furlough scheme to protect theatre operators from going into administration.

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