Citizens Theatre in Glasgow has welcomed a fresh £3.5 million grant from the Scottish Government, allowing the venue to close out the final costs of its long-running redevelopment. The latest award takes the government’s total backing for the project to £17.5 million and is intended to settle the main building works contract and complete remaining fit-out and heritage elements in the historic Gorbals building.
The redevelopment, which began in 2018, set out to preserve the theatre’s Victorian auditorium while overhauling backstage, front-of-house and public areas to create a more accessible, modern and efficient space. Rising construction costs and delays lengthened the project and pushed up the overall bill, prompting additional support from both the Scottish Government and other public funders.
Chair of the theatre’s board Alison Newton said: “We are deeply grateful to the Scottish government for this crucial funding that allows us to complete our building redevelopment project. With our funders’ support, we have delivered a transformed, accessible theatre building, deeply rooted in the many communities that it serves.” She highlighted that the completed facility will give audiences, participants and visiting artists a significantly improved experience, from better accessibility to enhanced rehearsal and participation spaces.
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Executive director Kate Denby said the additional support means the organisation can finally draw a line under the complex capital scheme and focus on its artistic future. She said: “Thanks to this vital funding from the Scottish government we can now close out the redevelopment project and fully embrace the new opportunities the building offers audiences, artists and communities across Scotland.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson described Citizens Theatre as both a local anchor and a national asset for Scotland’s performing arts, underlining the government’s rationale for sustained investment. He said: “As well as being the main producing theatre for audiences in the west of Scotland, Citizens Theatre is a significant national asset for the theatre sector, providing regular employment for around 120 staff across creative, technical, front of house and administrative roles.”
The theatre, which has operated from its Gorbals site since 1945, is expected to use the stability offered by the completed redevelopment to broaden its programme of produced work, community engagement and education projects. Leaders say the upgraded building will allow Citizens Theatre to host a wider range of productions and participation activity, strengthening its role in Glasgow’s cultural life and in Scotland’s theatre ecology more broadly.
