Arts Council England gives £4m green light to Mercury Theatre’s £9m extension project

The Mercury Rising project took a major step forward with the Arts Council’s announcement of £4m funding towards transforming the theatre’s foyer, extending the ground floor to include a new ticket sales and retail area, all-day café bar, foyer entertainments and improved audience facilities.  Above the foyer, a newly constructed and specially-equipped creative learning and talent studio will give people of all ages and backgrounds opportunities to get involved in theatre making, and will be used to train the next generation of theatre artists.  The confirmation of funding from Arts Council England unlocks £1m of additional funding from South East Local Enterprise Partnership, and £200,000 from Garfield Weston Foundation.