Citizens Theatre awarded £2m towards completing renovation 

Citizens Theatre in Glasgow has secured an extra £2m towards an ongoing refurbishment of the B-listed Victorian venue, the cost of which has spiralled from an initial £23m in 2018 to an estimated £30m.

On 20 June, Glasgow City Council, which had already contributed £6m to the project, agreed to pledge an additional £2m to help complete the works. 

The money, financed through Scotland’s Common Good Fund, which protects historic properties that benefit local people, will be released only after Citizens Theatre Ltd, which leases the venue, has secured additional funding.

Heritage Lottery Fund, Creative Scotland, and the Scottish Government have also contributed to the revamp of the 140-year-old council-owned building.

During a committee meeting, Councillor Ricky Bell said that without the extra money, the theatre would “struggle to reopen”.

The meeting was also told that the final cost can't be revealed due to commercial negotiations.
 
A council spokesperson said: "Whilst it is unlikely that this £2 million alone is enough to complete the project, positive discussions are ongoing with the UK and Scottish Governments to secure a total funding package within which a commercial settlement can be reached with the contractor and enable the theatre to be completed around December 20 this year."

A Citizens Theatre spokesperson said: “Today’s pledge of an additional £2 million funding support from Glasgow City Council is a significant contribution to the completion of the Citizens Theatre redevelopment. It was recognised that the theatre plays a vital part in Glasgow’s cultural offer and benefits communities across the city. 

"We are hugely appreciative of the council’s support during challenging times for public funding. Their leadership allows us to continue our conversations with the Scottish Government and other funders to secure the final package of funding required to complete construction works by the end of the year.”