Cockermouth’s Kirkgate Centre has received over £43,000 funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The centre’s management has just been given confirmation that two separate grants have been awarded to help fund two discrete projects that it wishes to deliver.
Capital funding totalling £26,739 has been allocated from the Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund towards the fitting of an accessible toilet on the first floor of the Kirkgate building.
Kirkgate General Manager Emma Heys said: “The first floor of the building is where the auditorium is situated.
“This will allow anyone who is seeing a show in the auditorium who needs to use the accessible toilet to do so without descending in the lift to the ground floor and risk missing a large section of the show.”
In addition, a revenue grant of £16,486 has been awarded to the Kirkgate to complete a six-month community-led heritage project covering the history of brewing in Cockermouth, from cottage industry to Jennings Bros Ltd. and beyond.
Emma added: “It will involve the youth theatre, whose two groups will work towards a performance just before Christmas, a heritage exhibition, a series of illustrated lectures and some guided walks.
“We’re delighted and very grateful for both grants. It takes a great deal of hard work to ensure that the Kirkgate building and the programme we offer continue to adapt to the needs of our customers and reflect the heritage of our communities.”
ENDS …..
NOTES TO EDITORS
Kirkgate is a charity based in Cockermouth, Cumbria. It operates an arts and heritage centre as well as working with towns and villages in West Cumbria to encourage a diverse programme of arts, culture and entertainment. Its vision is to ensure that creative talent is valued, developed and supported with opportunities for all to engage actively with, and enjoy, the arts, local heritage and community life.
The Kirkgate Centre brings the best cultural, theatrical and entertainment events to Cumbria. From the best feature and documentary films to live streaming of top London shows, to local talent, heritage exhibitions, music, theatre, comedy and more, there is something for everyone.
In the historic Kirkgate Quarter of the Gem Town of Cockermouth, sitting on the edge of the Lake District National Park, the Kirkgate Centre is the perfect venue for special occasions, conferences, meetings, courses, exhibitions or private film screenings.
Kirkgate manages Arts Out West which stages performances in community venues from Furness to the Solway, ranging from nationally-recognised theatre companies to international musicians with events that are as much a social occasion as a performance. It is a member of the National Rural Touring Forum supported by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation.
Follow @kirkgatearts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
For more information:
Emma Heys 01900 829966
www.kirkgateartsandheritage.org.uk
The Kirkgate Centre, Kirkgate, Cockermouth, CA13 9PJ