The curtain is rising on a brighter, greener future for the Terry O’Toole Theatre in North Hykeham after securing £107,777 from Arts Council England’s Creative Foundation Fund. The funding follows a successful bid by North Kesteven District Council.
The funding will enable the Moor Lane venue, opened in 2002 and operated by GLL, to upgrade to energy-efficient LED lighting. The improvement will significantly reduce energy use while giving productions greater creative flexibility.
North Kesteven District Council and GLL have jointly committed £11,976 as a 10% match contribution (5% each). Work is scheduled to take place in August 2026, with completion expected the following month.
The project will replace the theatre’s outdated lighting system with modern LED lanterns, addressing urgent retrofit needs linked to energy inefficiency and to safeguard users.
The project will also increase the economic sustainability of the theatre. The investment will reduce the theatre’s annual energy cost from 10,700kWh to 1,200kWh, lowering its carbon emissions and significantly reducing environmental impacts.
Last week the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced that 130 cultural venues, museums and libraries will receive a funding boost to improve access to arts and culture across the country. They are set to receive a share of almost £130 million to protect them for present and future generations.
Councillor Wright, Leader of North Kesteven District Council, said: “Both the Council and the Theatre value the creative potential in our District and strive to provide our communities with more opportunities to enjoy and celebrate culture of every kind.
“It is brilliant that the theatre will benefit from this funding which will help reduce energy consumption and allow their productions to be more creative in their lighting design.
“This project also demonstrates the Council’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions as outlined in our Climate Response Strategy.”
Al Duncombe, Theatre Officer/Programmer at Terry O’Toole Theatre, said: “As a small venue at the heart of our community, this is fantastic news for the Terry O’Toole Theatre!
