Advice Needed - would love to pick your brains!

Hello all

I just wondered if I could pick your brains really. We have recently developed a not for profit community theatre side to our company as it has become apparent to us that there is a need for theatre to move forward to making theatre WITH people instead of just FOR them, and that theatre and drama can be such a wonderful tool for all sorts of character building, diversionary activity, and for strengthening and building communities. This is an area we want to go into and I personally have twenty year's experience working with Shelter,Nacro and other organisations with children and young people, ex offenders, drug misuers etc. We have found a building in our city centre which is a fantastic space and I know it's earmarked for demolition eventually when a new shopping centre is built in about 18 month's time, but until that time, it is lying empty and unloved. Our aim would be to use the building to develop our community theatre, encouraging those who don't or won't or can't access the traditional theatre and classes to come along and work with us. We want to use volunteers from all walks of life, and offer apprenticeships also. We also want to offer opportunities for local artists to exhibit their work and use our space to create their work. There is ample space for workshop and rehearsal areas, office space and artist workshop space - we intend to rent this out cheaply so that we can help early career artists. We feel this will improve Lincoln in so many ways, not least in retaining those graduates who give so much to our city and then go.

I wondered if you can recommend anywhere we can go for funding, or any contacts that may be able to help us? I am trying to negotiate the rent down from £15000 to a more manageable level, particularly as it won't be a long term lease. Any advice would be so welcomed - and any experience you wish to share or know of. Feel very in the dark, but I am determined not to let it drop!

Carrie

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