Scarborough Theatre Boss Welcomes £2.7 Million Funding Boost

Scarborough's historic Stephen Joseph Theatre has been awarded a massive £2.7 million investment to fix its leaking roof and completely revamp the McCarthy auditorium.

Scarborough's cherished Stephen Joseph Theatre is set to undergo a major transformation after securing a substantial £2.7 million investment from the Arts Council Creative Foundations Fund.

The much-loved Yorkshire Coast venue will use the financial boost to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of its McCarthy auditorium, alongside critical maintenance work on its ageing infrastructure.

The funding arrives as part of the Government's Arts Everywhere Fund, which aims to improve access to arts and culture by supporting cultural infrastructure projects and preserving heritage buildings across the country.

The theatre's Joint Chief Executive, Caroline Routh, expressed her joy over the multi-million-pound grant.

Caroline Routh said:

"Couldn't be more delighted for the theatre and for Scarborough. It's a huge investment and um we can't wait to get started.

We've got 2.7 million pounds and it's a lot of work. We have a leaking roof, we have air conditioning units and heating that don't work. So there's a lot of infrastructure stuff. But we're also going to carry out a full refurbishment of our McCarthy space. A lot more wheelchair places, new toilets, new seating, a bar area, breakout space for some of our dementia friendly screenings. It's going to like really transform that space."

The historic building, which dates back ninety years, has faced significant wear and tear over the decades.

The last major renovation of the theatre took place thirty years ago, leaving staff to manage ongoing maintenance challenges behind the scenes.

Caroline Routh explained the severe difficulties the venue has been facing with its deteriorating roof.

She said:

"We've been patching the building together for quite a while now. The building's 90 years old, the theatre refurbishment or renovation is 30 years old. We've got 140 holes in our roof at the moment. So there are buckets in lots of places backstage that we try and keep away from the public, but we've really been struggling to keep things going behind the scenes.

So this is just going to make all that so much better. And it'll stop us spending all of the money that we're spending on maintenance at the moment and repairs, and allow us to put it back into the programme of work."

Despite the extensive nature of the planned repairs, theatregoers will still be able to enjoy performances.

The main Round auditorium will remain fully operational while the McCarthy space is temporarily closed for the upgrades.

Detailing the timeline for the project, Caroline Routh said:

"So the theatre will stay open throughout because the round auditorium can continue to have its full programme.

Most of the work on the roof will be done around the shows, so that won't disrupt.

The McCarthy will be closed for its refurbishment, so there's probably about 30 weeks when that will be out of action. But throughout that time, the rest of the theatre will be open so we'll just make sure we put lots of other activities on in the other spaces.

We're looking at the works taking place in 2027 with everything finished in time for Christmas next year."

The McCarthy auditorium, which hosts both live shows and cinema screenings, will see its original seating upgraded and its accessibility vastly improved.

The venue management is highly conscious of changing audience needs, particularly regarding wheelchair access and facilities for visitors and performers alike.

Caroline Routh elaborated on the specific improvements planned for the auditorium.

She said:

"The McCarthy hasn't really been touched since we did the conversion 30 years ago. And what people need has changed. And we're very conscious of the fact that there's only limited wheelchair positions in the front row. And a lot of people like to come and see a film and have a choice of seats, which we're going to be able to do. There's going to be an accessible toilet in that space for the first time.

And what we're also going to do is we're going to create the backstage, it's all on many levels. So we're going to sort all of that out, which means that it's going to be a much more usable space for performers, for technicians, who also might have different access needs."

The investment is seen as a strong vote of confidence in the cultural offering of the North Yorkshire coastal town.

The arts sector has faced numerous financial pressures recently, making this capital injection particularly vital for the long-term sustainability of the beloved Scarborough institution.

Reflecting on the wider significance of the funding award, Caroline Routh said:

"We really see it as a huge testament to the fact that the DCMS and Arts Council have looked at what we do, seen the value of it, think that it's really important to keep that going, and given us quite a significant chunk of money to help us do so."

The overarching £1.5 billion government package will also benefit other regional venues, including the Ryedale Folk Museum and East Riding Libraries, ensuring that communities across the Yorkshire Coast and beyond continue to enjoy high-quality arts and culture.

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