Theatre Royal Margate: A new vision as a performing arts hub
The Theatre Royal, located in the heart of Margate, was first constructed in 1787. The theatre is Grade II* listed and retains its Victorian design which dates from 1874. The Theatre Royal is the UK’s second oldest working theatre and is of national significance. It was listed in 1955, and in 2018, it was added to the Theatre Trust’s At Risk Register. We commissioned a heritage significance statement to understand the building’s history with funding from Theatres Trust.
The new vision is to combine the Theatre Royal Margate and 19 Hawley Square. These places have a long and shared history. They will be preserved, restored and modernised, with the aim of creating a performing arts hub in Margate. The aim is to establish a circular theatre economy to promote performing arts and create a supportive environment to:
- Provide opportunities for young people to get involved in performing arts and creative careers
- Attract local, national, and international performances and events
- Create theatre productions featuring professional and local actors to be enjoyed by local, national and even audiences worldwide audiences
The new vision for the Theatre Royal Margate focuses on heritage, performance and financial sustainability. 19 Hawley Square will be developed into a theatre production space with a bar, cafe, studio theatre, recording studio and rehearsal rooms. It will also have offices and accommodation for touring theatre companies.
The Theatre Royal Margate project was originally allocated £2.2m of Margate Town Deal funding. The ambitious scope of the project means that we need to secure funding from external sources for the project to succeed. Significant large scale capital funding applications worth £7.5m were made in 2023/24. Unfortunately these applications, including £4.5m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, were unsuccessful. To stabilise the project and show commitment, cabinet agreed a further re-allocation of £2.8m from Margate Town Deal towards the project. The project now has a total budget of £5m, leaving a funding gap of £2m. However the imminent appointment of a professional team and to deliver a masterplan approach means there is the commitment and ambition to open the theatre by winter 2027. 19 Hawley Square will likely form part of a second phase of works once the additional £2m is secured.
Public and Operator Engagement
In winter 2024 we carried out public, stakeholder and operator engagement with over 30,000 people engaging online. 95% of people completing the survey supported the project vision and proposals.
The performing arts sector engaged with 16 operators registering their interest in the Theatre Royal’s future.
We invited potential operators in the performing arts sector to register their interest in the Theatre Royal’s future. The theatre prospectus and an example of the questions being asked as part of the operator engagement process can be found here:
This supported a report on operator options and a business case (January 2024), leading to a decision from Cabinet to set up a new trust to work in partnership with other performing arts organisations, subject to funding, in May 2024.
Next Steps
- Commission architects and design team, quantity surveyor and project manager to develop the plans. Including public engagement on the designs. Submit planning application and listed building consent.
- Tender for contractors and complete the works. Open Theatre with a pantomime in 2027.
- Set up a trust (independent legal entity from the council) in partnership with a new operator, recruit local expertise and agree lease terms and partnership arrangements.
