#BringBackBrightonDome Crowdfunding Campaign Launches
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (BDBF) has joined the national #SaveOurTheatres crowdfunding campaign launched today (8 September 2020) by the Theatres Trust to help prevent the permanent closure of UK theatres. Some theatres have gone into administration or have made staff redundant in an attempt to survive a financial crisis.
Since March 2020, Brighton Dome is amongst hundreds of theatres and arts venues across the country currently closed for live events due to the coronavirus pandemic. Following Brighton Dome’s closure and the cancellation of Brighton Festival 2020, the organisation lost 67% of its self-generated income through ticket sales and events.
The 1,800 capacity Concert Hall is only able to consider vastly reduced attendances of social distanced performances and the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatres are undergoing major refurbishment until autumn 2021.
With the continued uncertainty around when large-scale live events might return, the registered arts charity is asking the community to raise £25,000 for the #BringBackBrightonDome appeal which will help towards the additional £250,000 it needs to raise in the next year. Supporters can choose a range of ‘rewards’ for different levels of donations including art prints; ticket vouchers; signed posters and personal backstage tours.
Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival said:
“During our closure we have received overwhelming support from our audiences, members and Patrons as well as invaluable ongoing support from Brighton & Hove City Council and emergency funding from Arts Council England. Our extraordinary team of staff are committed to bringing back arts and culture to our venues and are ready to reignite the work of artists who are desperate to perform to audiences again. But we’re going to need some extra help to make this happen. Anyone who is able to donate to the #BringBackBrightonDome campaign will not only be supporting the city’s vital arts community but they will be doing their bit to help bring back live performance to one of its most treasured spaces.”