Tag: Leith THeatre

A New Heart for an Empty Theatre

Leith Theatre is delighted to announce that they have begun a partnership with new community interest company, ‘Empty Kitchens Full Hearts,’ to feed those in need during the Covid crisis and beyond.

The Thomas Morton Hall has been transformed into a bustling food storage, drop-off and packing centre and the attached kitchens, which are generally not in use, have once again found their calling, as a team of professional chefs work round the clock to prepare a selection of healthy foods for free delivery and takeaway.

Empty Kitchens Full Hearts started out in April as a response to Covid-19 directly affecting vulnerable people who already had limited access to food. Using food donated by supermarkets, charities and individuals, and utensils and catering equipment given by closed kitchens and restaurants, the team have already sent out 86,456 free meals.

Leith Theatre, which has recently closed the doors in a bid to protect itself against the financial impact of Covid-19, sought out a collaboration with Empty Kitchens Full Hearts in order to continue doing the only thing possible in the current situation; steadfastly support the community it is at the heart of.

To date, Empty Kitchens Full Hearts have distributed 10,158 nutritious meals completely free of charge from Leith Theatre. A hot food takeaway offering is now available between 11:30-12:30 and 16:30-17:30 every day, seven days a week for those unfortunately unable to reheat food themselves. This will now be served from the main entrance porch at Leith Theatre with access at the main gates clearly marked.

Lewis McLachlan, founder of the initiative, said, “All of the meals are cooked from scratch by professional catering staff who have either lost their jobs or been on the furlough scheme and are giving their time for free, alongside an army of volunteers packing and delivering.

“There is no sign that the need for this service is slowing down. At the start of May we were providing 4000 meals per week and less than two months later this has doubled to over 8000 with the week beginning the 13th of July forecast at 11,000.

“I believe these numbers are only going to get higher and moving into the Thomas Morton Hall is a key element for us to be ready to help more as people need it.”

Lynn Morrison, Executive Director at Leith Theatre, said, “When we heard that they were looking for a new kitchen, we knew that this worthwhile enterprise was something that would fit with our ethos and would be the perfect silver lining to the cloud of our closure.

“It is a way of supporting our community in a very proactive, visible way and something we are able to do despite being shut to the public until 2021.

“Having the building shut and sealed was never going to be something that sat well with Leith Theatre and I feel very much that by offering our kitchen, hall and outside space for this project, it acts as a natural companion to our highly successful foodbank, stationery and mask material collections.

“I am excited to collaborate with this wonderful team of tenacious chefs and volunteers and welcome them to the Leith Theatre family.”

If you or anyone you know is struggling with safe access to food, please contact the team on food.ekfh@gmail.com / 07895 347157.

Although the majority of the food donated would otherwise go to waste, and the project is run by volunteers, there are still costs involved; packaging, fuel, PPE and the additional running costs associated with such a huge operation.

Together, Leith Theatre and Empty Kitchens Full Hearts will continue to transform donated food into full meal packs, ensuring access to nourishment for all, and wasting nothing so that others may want for nothing.

Donations to Empty Kitchens Full Hearts can be made here:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/emptykitchens

Twitter: @EmptyKitchens

Donations to Leith Theatre here: https://www.justgiving.com/leiththeatretrust

Twitter: @LeithTheatre

Leith Theatre Gets Set to Persevere Through Yet Another Closure

It is with regret that Leith Theatre announces that, in light of the widespread disruption to cultural life caused by Covid-19, it has made the difficult decision to remain closed to the public until next Spring.

In a building already suffering the effects of years of neglect, and after weeks of scenario planning and calculating financial risk, it must, like so many other theatres and venues across the country, stay shut to remain a viable business in the longer term.

The colder months of the year are much more challenging in this still establishing business, with a quieter programme and with some parts of the theatre still without heating. The Spring and Summer programmes have been lost, and the current landscape is all so uncertain.

With so many unknowns, to risk re-opening to what would be reduced and socially distant audiences, is a risk simply too high to take and one that could potentially sound the death knell for this unique venue which sits proudly in the heart of Leith.

It is a decision that has not been taken lightly, but one which recognizes that temporary closure is necessary to protect the building and business for the future. 

Most of the staff at Leith Theatre were furloughed as part of the Government Support scheme since the Theatre closed its doors in March. This longer term closure does mean that staff employment is affected and the theatre is in touch with its small team to discuss what that means directly.

However, the closure also brings an opportunity for Leith Theatre; it is with huge thanks to its funders; the Architectural Heritage Fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and most recently, Theatres At Risk, that it is able to conserve its limited resources and invest this time in prioritising its strategic next steps and planning for refreshed doors opening once more.

Lynn Morrison, Exec Director of Leith Theatre Trust, said: “The sector is facing incredible challenges and for our small dedicated staff team who have worked tirelessly to bring this venue to back to its feet, it is the hardest thing to see the building closed and the Leith family unable to return.

 “We have to use this opportunity to build a stronger platform for the venue’s future. We are a Theatre at Risk and a business start-up, and we have major refurbishment and construction needs.

“Our committed funding and Government COVID support has granted us this time to review our future business development. We hope we can also explore future fundraising possibilities and consider if further building regeneration works are possible.

“We cannot wait to welcome everyone back through our doors but in the meantime we will keep supporting the community in any way we can”

Since shutdown, Leith Theatre has continued to provide a community lifeline, acting as a collection point for the North East Edinburgh Foodbank, collecting stationery for pupils in partnership with a local primary school and also pipelining fabric and materials for making masks for an Edinburgh craft collective. The doors were also re-opened to support NHS blood banks.

Leith Theatre has already seen periods of closure in its rich history and one day this temporary shutting will join the rest as mere notes in its timeline.

Leith Theatre will, as always, Persevere.

Donations to Leith Theatre can be made via the website or JustGiving or please get in touch with fundraising@leiththeatretrust.org

‘Theatre at Risk’ Leith Theatre gets a helping hand

Leith Theatre Trust has received an award of £11,000 to support business planning, leadership training and a package of consultancy work to strengthen its operation.

Leith Theatre is a Category B listed building, which had been empty from 1988 until 2016, when it partly reopened for pop-up events. There is still much work to be done to enable the building to fully re-open, programme and operate on a permanent basis.

This funding will provide mentoring consultancy works, accounts and leadership training, and a package of consultancy expertise work covering financial, marketing / fundraising, audience development and community membership, and stakeholder engagement.

Leith Theatre is one of six theatres to receive funding through the second round of the Theatres at Risk Capacity Building Programme, run by the national advisory body for theatres.

The others are Brighton Hippodrome, Derby Hippodrome, Granada in Walthamstow, Groundings Theatre in Portsmouth and Streatham Hill Theatre (above).

The programme is designed to support theatres on the Theatres Trust’s Theatres at Risk Register to commission expert advice and acquire the skills and knowledge to push forward capital projects to help save their theatres. Alongside the funding, the theatre will receive support and advice from the Theatres Trust advice team.

Lynn Morrison, Exec Director of Leith Theatre Trust said, “We are delighted to receive this funding and most especially at this time.

“We are a Theatre at Risk and a business start-up, with major refurbishment and construction needs. This funding allows us to prioritise strategic next steps for Leith Theatre and invest in expertise to work with us to support our business planning. The timing could not be more perfect and will help to build confidence at this time as we plan for what will be a new future.”

Theatres Trust Architecture Advisor Claire Appleby says: “We know how difficult it can be for theatres to raise funding for the early stage concept and viability works and for organisational support.

“These first stages of a project provide the vital foundations for both project and organisation, and we hope that with this support, these theatres will be able to make real progress.”

Theatres at Risk Capacity Building Programme is supported by Historic England, The Pilgrim Trust and Swire Charitable Trust.

Sue Bowers of the Pilgrim Trust says: “The Pilgrim Trust recognises the importance of supporting theatres at risk to save their buildings and give them a viable and sustainable future. 

“This is not just because so many of the buildings are of outstanding significance, but also because a restored, vibrant and well visited theatre building can assist with the regeneration of the centres of our towns and cities.  We are delighted to be funding this programme.”

Martha Allfrey Trustee of the Swire Charitable Trust says: “The Swire Charitable Trust is delighted to be supporting the Theatres Trust’s Theatres at Risk Capacity Building Programme.

“We applaud its goal of removing vulnerable theatres from the Theatres at Risk Register, thus securing the future of these vital cultural, community and heritage assets.

“Theatres Trust’s unique and intense work with these theatres can lend support in so many ways, offering exciting opportunities to the community and campaign groups involved – we will follow the progress of each project with great interest.”

Affordable family cinema at Leith Theatre

On the 24th of July, Cinetopia and Leith Theatre are screening a full day of “Quotable Classics” including an afternoon screening of HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS followed by an evening screening of BACK TO THE FUTURE!

Affordable prices and family friendly! Come for one or both!

More info and tickets here
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids – Cinema Days at Leith Theatre
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-cinema-days-at-leith-theatre-tickets-65210410092

Back to the Future – Cinema Nights at Leith Theatre
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/back-to-the-future-cinema-nights-at-leith-theatre-tickets-65212357918

Ya dancer! Funding for traditional arts projects

Dancebase and the Amanda Kane School of Dance are among the beneficiaries of new awards made through the Youth Talent Development Fund from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Creative Scotland. Continue reading Ya dancer! Funding for traditional arts projects