Theatre: Swindon
Thursday, 12 November 2026
Contributions
Will Stone (Swindon North) (Lab)Labour
4. What steps she is taking to support development of the new theatre in Swindon.
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)Labour
I was delighted to see £20 million allocated for a new cultural venue in Swindon via the growth mission fund, thanks to the tenacity of my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander). Officials will continue to work on plans for the theatre with the new Conservative council, which I believe is assessing whether it should take this forward. The investment remains subject to a final business case demonstrating the project’s viability and affordability. I welcome this investment in the arts and communities in Swindon, and I thank my hon. Friend for his question.
I thank the Minister for his response. I am actively encouraging the Conservative administration in Swindon to proceed with the plans for a new theatre, following the funding successfully secured by my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander) and me. In the interim, we have to think about our beloved Wyvern theatre. Is there any additional support to retrofit existing theatres in the interim?
There is. We are investing up to £425 million via the creative foundations fund for urgent capital works for not-for-profit cultural venues in England. The funding is already supporting older theatres, such as Scarborough Theatre Trust and Northampton Theatres Trust. I understand that Wyvern theatre’s activities involve Swindon borough council, a commercial operator and a charitable programme via Reach Inclusive Arts. I encourage local partners to discuss capital pressures with Arts Council England and my hon. Friend. I am sure that the Arts Minister would be delighted to meet him and his colleague, my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander), to discuss that further.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5436630.