The Kenton Theatre Secures Prestigious South Oxfordshire District Council Performing Arts Grant for 2024/25

The Kenton Theatre Secures Prestigious South Oxfordshire District Council Performing Arts Grant for 2024/25Playing Cards with Purpose: £625 Raised for Henley’s Historic Theatre

The Kenton Theatre is pleased to announce that it has been awarded multiple grants from the South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) Performing Arts Grant Scheme for 2024/25, securing vital funding to elevate its offerings and enrich the community’s cultural life. These generous grants will help drive several exciting initiatives that enhance the theatre’s accessibility, creativity, and educational impact.

The SODC Performing Arts Grant Fund is designed to support community and voluntary sector performing arts groups across South Oxfordshire. It aims to boost the cultural landscape by providing financial support to projects that create a meaningful community impact, address key needs, and broaden access to the performing arts in the region.

The Kenton Theatre has been awarded three significant grants totalling £14,500, that will support crucial improvements to its infrastructure, audience engagement, and the further its educational programmes:

1. Lighting System Upgrade – £5,000 The £5,000 grant towards a new lighting system will allow The Kenton Theatre to be self-sufficient for day-to-day usage, to reduce energy bills, reduce technical time usage, add creative capacity and modernise the venue to be competitive with other similar venues.

2. Audience Development Project – £4,500 The Kenton Theatre is committed to diversifying and expanding its audience base. The £4,500 grant will fund a dedicated role to drive the theatre’s audience development strategy, focusing on expanding our reach, engaging younger and more diverse audiences, and building a wider geographic footprint in SODC particularly via the villages surrounding Henley-on-Thames, including underrepresented communities.

3. Theatre Education Programme – £5,000 The Kenton Theatre is dedicated to developing young minds and nurturing a passion for the performing arts and is therefore creating a new theatre education programme, unique in the SODC area, offering local children and young people (ages 5 -18), in and around Henley an inclusive, comprehensive introduction to all aspects of theatrical performance. The programme will follow the structure of the Arts Council England’s accredited Arts Award scheme and will also provide students the opportunity to gain formal recognition of their achievements in the arts. This grant will help fund the set-up costs of this programme which we plan to launch in September 2025.

Lottie Pheasant, Theatre Manager at The Kenton Theatre, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support from South Oxfordshire District Council. These grants will not only enhance the experience for our existing customers but also open our doors to a wider, more diverse audience. Most importantly, they will allow us to nurture young talent and inspire the next generation of theatre lovers and creators.”

With these exciting initiatives underway, the Kenton Theatre looks forward to continuing its mission of bringing exceptional performances, education, and cultural opportunities to the heart of South Oxfordshire.