SAVE ABERDEEN ARTS CENTRE

No, it’s not closing. We’re still open, busy, and full of creativity. But like many arts venues across the country, we’ve hit a rough patch financially. That’s why we’ve launched the ‘Save Aberdeen Arts Centre’ campaign: to make sure we protect this beloved venue for the long term. You can donate here.

Rising costs and eligibility requirements for certain funding streams have left us with a funding gap. Like many other arts organisations, we had to draw on our reserves which impacts our ability to secure some types of public funding. We’re being proactive now so we can secure long-term sustainability.

This total covers our core running costs over the next three years - things like staff wages, electricity, maintenance, and essential repairs. The arts don’t run on passion alone (though we have plenty of that too!) and this funding will give us time to implement a more sustainable strategy and apply for multi-year funding from national bodies that can support the Art Centre’s sustainability and growth

If we don’t reach our first target of £180,000 by July 1, we risk missing out on local authority funding that depends on the strength of our financial reserves. This would put greater strain on our day-to-day operations. But with your help, we believe we can reach the goal, one donation, one share, one act of support at a time.

We’ve been keeping a close eye on our finances for some time, and had already started work on a new financial strategy. But the increase in operational costs happened faster than anticipated. We’re now taking decisive steps to futureproof Aberdeen Arts Centre. Launching this campaign gives us the best chance to act before the problem gets any worse.

This funding will cover core costs like staff, utilities, venue upkeep, and vital programming support. We'll also invest in long-term planning, such as diversifying income streams and applying for larger funding packages.

Yes. We’re working on a comprehensive plan to diversify our income, including new hires, fundraising strategies, and creative programming that boosts revenue. The campaign gives us the breathing room to implement this plan successfully.

Aberdeen Arts Centre is managed by a volunteer board of trustees and a small, passionate senior leadership team. We are a registered charity and are committed to transparency and accountability. Governance decisions are made carefully and always with the best interest of the organisation and its community in mind.

Aberdeen Arts Centre made four applications to Aberdeen City Council for funding throughout the year. These were:

• £100,000 from the Culture Investment Cultivate Programme – this is a reduction in the sum applied for (and awarded) in previous years.
• £7,000 from the Common Good Fund – this was awarded, and goes towards rent for the building (the landlord of which is Aberdeen City Council).
• £100,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – for an architectural feasibility study and plan to help Aberdeen Arts Centre become more sustainable, and to minimise sound bleed to allow programming of multiple concurrent events.
• £70,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – a capital replacement project to replace an end-of-life sound desk, and to upgrade follow-spots to energy-efficient LEDs.

Of these applications, only the Common Good Fund was awarded. The council deemed the organisation’s reserves to be insufficient to meet the Following the Public Pound criteria to award funding.

We provide facilities for 35+ local performing groups across a range of disciplines, including drama, musical theatre, dance, music and variety. We also work with leading artists and creatives to deliver a varied Creative Learning Programme, and support early years professionals to develop their projects.

In addition to this, we participate in a number of festivals which bring venues together from across the city, including Light the Blue, Granite Noir, the Umbrella Project, WayWord and Sound Festival.

Aberdeen Arts Centre offers something unique for local performing groups in Aberdeen.

No other theatre can accommodate the large casts of 200+ that regularly appear on our stage. We have a large backstage provision, as well as flexible spaces throughout the venue which can accommodate these casts. No other venue in Aberdeen can do this.

Our 350-seater auditorium provides a perfect-sized space for grassroots cultural groups – just the right size to fill, big enough to be impressive but not too big as to be daunting for first-time performers.

And as the only theatre in Aberdeen dedicated to grassroots theatre, we keep our costs as low as possible to ensure that everyone gets the chance to express themselves.

You can donate through our JustGiving page, come to our public meeting on 27 May, and follow/share our updates on social media. Even small donations and simple acts like reposting can make a huge difference in helping us reach more people.

Yes – absolutely! Aberdeen Arts Centre is still fully open and operational. We’re continuing to welcome productions, events, and rehearsals just as we always have. In fact, we are still taking bookings as far ahead as 2027 and have even had early enquiries for 2030. We know how much time, effort, and heart goes into planning your shows, and we want to reassure you that the spotlight is still shining bright.

As you know, over the last few months we have had to make a slight increase to hire costs, simply to reflect the rising cost of running the building. That said, we remain committed to keeping the Arts Centre an affordable and accessible venue for local performing groups. Subsidised hire rates have always been a core value of ours, and we’re working hard to keep them as low as possible.

There are no immediate plans for closure. The fundraising campaign has been launched to strengthen our reserves and secure our long-term future. We want you to feel confident bringing your cast, crew, and audiences into our space.

Absolutely! Your support is more powerful than you might think. You can download our fundraising pack that outlines how you can get involved, and what you can do.

Our goal is to meet the initial £180,000 target by 1 July to restore our reserves and give the council confidence in our sustainability. If we don’t reach it, we may lose eligibility for some funding, but this is not our only source of income. We are exploring many options and are having lots of conversations. If the community rallies together now, it will make a huge difference.

Yes, all of our Creative Learning sessions are continuing as normal. You’ll still see your usual facilitators and friends, learning new skills and building confidence through creativity. We’re so proud of the people who come through our doors and can’t wait to see you at your next class - and upcoming performances like Light the Blue and the Tall Ships.

No changes are planned at the moment. If anything ever does change, we promise to let you know with plenty of notice. Right now, we’re focused on keeping your classes running smoothly and joyfully.

Yes, please! We’d love to hear from Creative Learning participants and families. You can film a short video message telling us what the Arts Centre means to you or hold a fundraising event. Your voices are so powerful in showing how valuable the Arts Centre is to our community.

Castlegate Theatre Company, our flagship theatre company, provides a year-round focus on street theatre – which is a unique provision in Aberdeen. Formerly focused on musical theatre, this move has been trialled for the last year to provide something new and different in the city. The shift occurred in response to increasing invitations to participate in outdoor festivals, recognising the need to properly prepare our performers for the different demands of public performance spaces versus traditional stage environments. Company members were consulted about this change, with a majority expressing enthusiasm to explore a new direction. While street theatre has become our distinctive focus, we continue to offer a comprehensive creative learning programme including drama, storytelling, writing, and crafts classes.