Despite this being the most difficult year for Guiseley Theatre, we are still passionate about bringing our lovely Victorian Theatre back to life and installing it with up-to-date facilities and infrastructure to secure it's position as a community hub and fantastic arts venue for years to come.

Over the past year we have been renovating our downstairs rooms which are used by many community groups, to provide a clean fresh look and to take the building right back to its Victorian heritage, look and feel.

However, the Barney Colehan Hall presents many challenges, and requires a great amount of fundraising to get it operational as a Theatre once more. Like many smaller arts organisations and heritage buildings, our annual turnover and various other factors have made us ineligible for the Arts Council Cultural Recovery Fund - which means not only are we lacking the help and support to reopen as it is, but that any additional costs and problems we encounter put the Theatre in a tricky position.

In the past month we have had the fantastic news that Leeds City Council (from whom we lease the building) are replacing thr leaky roof that has gradually been destroying equipment on our stage. And we also secured a small grant from the Wellbeing Fund to replace and fix the balcony toilets to make new Covid-safe, unisex facilties! All exciting progress.

Unfortunately with every good bit of news comes bad news! A recent survey of our stage equipment deemed it unsuitable for operation and we have since been working hard to rip out and remove 50 years worth of electrical, rigging and light installations which means our stage is now completely bare. We have been working hard with electricians to come up with a plan to install a new system throughtout the building... using volunteers where we can, and qualified freelancers where we can’t! This is going to cost us around £20,000 .... which is terrible timing but also a fantastic opportunity to carry out the work whilst the building is empty.

​We have kept any working and functional equipment, but we cannot open our stage to performances and shows until a rewire and install has been completed.

​Guiseley Theatre needs your support today to #saveourstage more than ever.

Thank you.

Guiseley Theatre CIC

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