Leith Theatre Trust revealed that it has secured a significant funding package potentially worth £4.5m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Leith Theatre
Leith Theatre, part of a grand complex gifted to the fine folks of Leith by the City of Edinburgh after their 1920 merger, is quite the character! Opened in 1932, it also boasts Leith Library, Thomas Morton Hall, and a quaint Gatehouse. Designed by Bolton’s oldest architectural maestros Bradshaw Gass & Hope, this place screams inter-war civic pride and ambition louder than a bagpiper at dawn.
This magnificent building has seen its fair share of drama; it was bombed in 1941 and took two decades to fix up—only to be shut again in the ’80s for budget reasons. The Trust swooped in during 2016 after much community hullabaloo to save it from becoming yet another private development. Now they’re on a mission for capital investment to ensure this glorious semi-derelict gem remains an important cultural asset for future generations.
With a musical legacy that includes AC/DC, Kraftwerk, and Thin Lizzy rocking its stage in the ’70s—and opera divas belting out arias from the ’60s through ’80s as part of the Edinburgh International Festival—it had nearly three decades off until 2016. But fear not! Between 2018-2021, collaborations with EIF and Hidden Door festival brought back audiences like bees to honey with pop-up gigs featuring The Snuts, Young Fathers, Neneh Cherry, Mogwai—you name it!
Nestled right where all sorts of redevelopment shenanigans are happening now—connecting north Edinburgh with its centre via tram—this theatre can host innovative cultural programmes within its historic walls. It’s proven itself as an irreplaceable hub for community initiatives and culture—a unique spot combining social charm with cultural pizzazz right here in bonnie Edinburgh!
Just days after being included on the Theatres Trust ‘Theatres at Risk’ Register for the ninth year, and shortly after securing a 50 year lease of the complex from City of Edinburgh Council, Leith Theatre Trust is delighted to announce Heritage Fund backing of its ambitions to create an innovative cultural venue at the heart of its community.
An initial award of £247,947 for its Back to Life: the theatre that isn’t just a theatre project supports Leith Theatre to develop its capital refurbishment plans in close collaboration with The National Lottery Heritage Fund in order to secure the full remaining funding award of just over £4.2m.
The development support from the Heritage Fund also strengthens a community engagement programme, helping to ensure local people remain at the heart of the Leith Theatre story.
Anna Higham, Funding and Finance Manager from Leith Theatre Trust, said: “This project to bring Leith Theatre back to life really shines a spotlight on heritage and how important it is for communities to retain buildings of local value. Although this feels like the culmination of lots of hard work, it is really just the beginning, and we are excited to continue our next step development plans and launch our full capital fundraising campaign.”
An impressive civic space, now suffering from damage and decay, Leith Theatre is a Grade B listed building with classic interwar architecture and a unique political history, built to commemorate the incorporation of Leith into the City of Edinburgh’s new boundaries in 1920.
Lengthy periods of closure have preserved many original features, making the theatre a distinctive and valuable heritage site. Time has left its mark, but despite deterioration, the space retains much of its classic detailing, with its ‘authentic’ and ‘faded grandeur’ continuing to resonate with all who visit.
Between 1961 and 1988, it served as a venue for the Edinburgh International Festival, hosting performances by world-renowned musicians like the Amadeus Quartet and Benjamin Britten. The theatre hosted contemporary music in the 1970s, with iconic bands like AC/DC and Kraftwerk performing on the stage.
As it reawakens, Leith Theatre has woven itself into the local community, making it an important local asset, celebrating the heritage and civic pride of Leith.
As one of few buildings in Edinburgh to sustain war damage, the theatre was closed in 1941. The Main Auditorium has now been closed for more than half its life, yet Leith Theatre has still taken its place in the community weaving an incredibly rich story and heritage.
MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Ben Macpherson, said: “It’s a wonderful building and I have been pleased to support the Leith Theatre team, and dream, in any ways that I could, since being elected in 2016. I recall first being shown around the place back then, when it was in a state of disrepair, and the progress in the years since has been remarkable. I pay tribute to all of the staff, board and volunteers for everything that has been achieved up until now. The space is a fantastic venue, and I cannot wait to see and hear the shows and concerts that will now take place in the near future. Leith is a creative and energetic hub, and I am excited for what is ahead for this theatre. I predict there will be significant demand to perform on the stage – by musicians, actors and other various artists alike – and many audiences are in for a treat! Congratulations to everyone involved in getting to this moment, and here’s to a bright future ahead! Open the curtains and turn up the amps!”
Without support, the curtain could have fallen on Leith Theatre’s rich social and cultural history forever. This funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund opens up the possibility of significant refurbishment and a year-round, permanently open Leith Theatre for the first time since its initial opening.
The Future
As a mid-sized music and performance venue, Leith Theatre’s past informs its future. However, the building is not just a space for entertainment but also a much-loved community hub appealing to a diverse and intergenerational audience. The Trust’s ambition is to save this valuable community asset so it can take its rightful place at the heart of Leith and in the cultural landscape of Edinburgh, contributing to local vibrant life and ultimately benefitting future generations.
The vision for the refurbishment is to ensure the building fulfils these original purposes but as a contemporary space that preserves the charm and heritage that makes it so enthralling to visitors. It will be a remix of the old and the new, retrofitting the iconic venue to preserve its rock-and-roll spirit while hitting the right notes on sustainability.
Everyone will be able to take part in the refurbishment project through events and heritage opportunities, allowing many people to access the venue and play their part in preserving and creating Leith and the City of Edinburgh’s history. People can stay up to date on these opportunities by signing up to the organisation’s newsletter and social media channels.
In the longer-term, this project ensures organisational sustainability in order to offer employment opportunities and skills development, bringing economic and social benefits to Leith.
Leith has featured in several ‘best neighbourhood’ polls and articles in recent years due to its mix of creative businesses, artists, Michelin starred restaurants, vibrant bar scene and new tram links direct from the airport. Leith Theatre’s return at last gives the area and Edinburgh a brilliant mid-size live music and performance venue in an accessible, yet out of city centre location.
Lynn Morrison, Chief Executive from Leith Theatre Trust said: “We are delighted with this initial support from The National Lottery Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we can continue to progress our strategic plans to revitalise and reimagine this beautiful heritage building. This is a significant milestone, and I am very proud of the team that has helped realise this ambition, which is one that I have been aiming for since appointment. It will be invigorating working in partnership with the Heritage Fund to develop and bring visibility of such an exciting lottery project to the heart of Leith.”