Marlowe plan boosted by a £3m donation
Ambitious redevelopment plans for Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre and Beaney Institute have been boosted by a £2.95million donation.
The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is to give Canterbury City Council £2 million to buy The Friars garage next door to the theatre and £975,000 towards the restoration and transformation of the Beaney.
As far as the Marlowe is concerned this grant was the final amount of public money the council had been seeking towards the £24million cost of the new theatre.
The council will sell off assets worth £11million to help pay for the project and the New Marlowe Theatre Development Trust has pledged to raise £6million through private donations.
Leader of the council Cllr John Gilbey said: "This is splendid news and takes us yet another step closer towards realising our ambitions for both the Marlowe Theatre and the Beaney.
"SEEDA's confidence in the city council's vision is demonstrated through these grants, giving a clear message about the validity of these two key projects in the cultural regeneration of Canterbury."
Under the plans the Marlowe will be rebuilt over three floors on the same, but extended, site. There will be better access with lifts to all floors and it will have two auditoriums, one with 1,200 seats and one with about 200.
At the Beaney there are plans for a new extension to the back of the building to provide improved access and more space.
