Theatres awarded £999,999 to upgrade accessibility and begin Liverpool Playhouse transformation

Liverpool & Merseyside Theatres Trust, the charity behind the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, has been awarded £999,999 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Arts Everywhere Fund. The investment will fund improved access equipment across both theatres and vital upgrades at the Liverpool Playhouse as a first step in its major capital ambitions.

For more than 160 years the Grade II* listed Playhouse – the Northwest’s oldest working theatre since opening as The Star in 1866 – has been a national cultural landmark. This near‑million pound award is the first step within a major transformational project for the Playhouse, ensuring audiences and artists can continue to enjoy and work in this iconic venue.

Mark Da Vanzo, Chief Executive, said:

“This is brilliant news for the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres and for the city as a whole. To receive this level of investment is a powerful vote of confidence in our theatres’ past, present and future. These funds will help us to address critical issues in the short-term and help to kickstart the next chapter for the Playhouse – restoring its historic splendour while making it a welcoming, comfortable and sustainable theatre for generations to come. We are enormously grateful to DCMS and Arts Council England and excited to get on with this critical work.”

The future capital plans for the Playhouse, beyond this investment, will deliver a vastly improved audience experience with a spacious, accessible entrance, better sightlines, wider seats, improved acoustics and new social and community spaces. The project will restore and celebrate the Playhouse’s historic features, from the original entrance to the star‑tiled foyer. A re‑cast stage, enhanced backstage access and a flexible second space will open the door to a richer, more diverse programme, ensuring world‑class shows such as Prima Facie remain an inspiring part of Liverpool’s cultural life. Built‑in sustainability measures will drive the Playhouse towards zero emissions and set new standards for environmentally responsible theatre‑making.

The investment forms part of the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £1.5 billion package from the Government to support cultural infrastructure projects. 

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

“I want everyone, everywhere to feel a sense of pride about where they come from. Cultural organisations across the North West are important custodians of local identity and play a key role in the story we tell ourselves as a nation. Our Arts Everywhere Fund is delivering on our commitment to support cultural assets across the country, increasing access and preserving them for future generations. Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities; they have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity. We want to harness that power to help build a brighter future for the people of the North West.”

The award is part of a wider North West package announced today, which sees 17 cultural venues, museums and libraries in the region receive a share of £16.9 million to protect and improve cultural infrastructure. 

Rebecca Ball, Area Director, North, Arts Council England, said:

“Our museums, libraries and arts organisations have the power to change lives, giving us access to new worlds, teaching us about our heritage and offering fresh perspectives. I’m pleased we can support so many cultural organisations in the North with this capital investment, ensuring they can continue to deliver incredible arts and culture to their communities.”