The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford

Our project is the transformation of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, developing this iconic and much-loved building as a cultural community hub with theatre at its core.

We plan to

• Substantially improve accessibility, installing new accessible toilets and a lift reaching all floors, increasing step-free seats from 5 to 25, increasing space for wheelchairs and providing level access to our meeting and function rooms.
• Create improved spaces for the many community and social groups who use our building, increasing the numbers we can accommodate by 30%.
• Create more space for creative learning activities, including a multi-purpose workshop and community room enabling us to increase the scale of activity by 50%.
• Improve energy efficiency, replacing expired infrastructure with sustainable cost-efficient alternatives.

We welcome over 128,000 people a year to our venue, for creative learning activities, arts workshops, exhibitions, events, social gatherings, and open days as well as seeing productions in our two auditoriums. Families, young children, and their carers make use of our weekly free Pop Up Play sessions as well as regular holiday activities around the building and garden. The retired and elderly in our community use the foyer for weekly craft and art activities and meetings, agencies supporting clients with additional needs use our spaces for learning activities such as IT clubs.

As a charity, one of Surrey’s largest arts providers and the only producing venue in the county, our role in delivering and facilitating arts activities is critical. Through our venue and our work, we support the mental health and wellbeing of Surrey residents, giving a sense of self, pride and place to those we engage with. Our Creative Learning team work with looked after children, young carers, refugees, young people with additional needs, schools and colleges ensuring no one is left behind.

The theatre will be accessible to everyone, enabling more people to take part in activities in a welcoming and sustainable building, securing a space for connection, learning and culture in the heart of the community.

The cost of the project is £6.76 million. Thanks to donations so far the theatre has raised £1.16 million and is asking Your Fund Surrey for £4million.

Help us to secure the theatre for future generations.

https://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/whats-on/play-your-part