Oldham Coliseum Theatre has announced that all scheduled shows after Sun 26 Mar have been cancelled after the venue confirmed it would no longer be part of Art Council England’s National Portfolio.
The iconic venue had relied on the support of ACE to continue to stage performances, but in November a decision by the organisation meant the theatre was left with a funding gap of almost £2 million.
A statement confirming the news was shared on Oldham Coliseum’s Twitter.
“Following the news on November 4, 2022, that the Coliseum will no longer be part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from 1 April 2023, the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team have been working hard to find a solution to this reduction in funding.
“The theatre put the pantomime on sale in November and announced the Spring-Summer season in early December with the best possible intentions, while still exploring options that may have enabled the continuation of the programme.
“However, the current financial situation is not sustainable for the season as planned.”
All events at the Coliseum until 26 March will go ahead as planned. Ticket holders for all other events will be refunded over the coming weeks.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Wed 1 Feb 2023
