Bluecoat to revamp venue space with Arts Council investment

The Bluecoat is to reconfigure its first-floor bistro to create a versatile new performance space after receiving a £680,000 grant from Arts Council England.

The arts centre’s chief executive Mary Cloake has described the grant, from the Arts Council’s Capital Investment Programme, as ‘transformative’ and promised it will enable the Bluecoat to “include many more people in our work”.

The funding will see the Grade I listed School Lane venue refurbish and reconfigure the café/bar space, including installing a new sound and lighting system, in order to create a large event and performance area.

Mary Cloake said: “This investment from ACE is transformative. At the Bluecoat we’ll be able to realise our long-standing ambition to offer an enhanced live and performing arts programme alongside a wide range of other activities.

Above: An artist's impression of the new performance space. Image by Architectural Emporium. Top: The Buecoat, Photo by Sophie Traynor

“It will increase the capacity of our venue, enabling us to include many more people in our work.

“At the same time, we’ll be able to retain the historic ambiance of this space within the UK’s oldest arts centre.”

The Bluecoat funding is part of a £24.2m Arts Council’s Capital Investment Programme spend which offers grants to go towards building work and the purchase of equipment and other assets to improve access, seize on technological opportunities and reduce environmental impact.