Key Fund, a social investment fund for the North and the Midlands in the UK, has awarded national arts charity Theatre Deli a mixed grant and loan worth £150,000 ($167,000/€171,000) to refurbish a new Sheffield venue.
The award includes a grant of £50,000 and a loan of £100,000, which can be paid back over a 10-year period. The fund will enable Theatre Deli to renovate its new Arley Street venue, which is part of Cuthbert House in Sheffield.
The investment was provided by the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund, which is funded by the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), and was received via Key Fund.
Theatre Deli’s model involves taking over unused spaces to support artists and offer communities access to the arts.
The new space will include rehearsal studios with custom-built dance floors, a performance space with a capacity of over 100, an office, bar and a cafe. It is hoped the venue will open in spring 2023.
Yorkshire artist Nicole-Rose Munhawa, who also recently designed the organisation’s new City of London venue, will decorate the Sheffield space.
Theatre Deli moved into the Arley Street space in May this year, and since then, has supported six artists across London and Sheffield through its residency programme.
Theatre Deli was also one of four Sheffield arts organisations selected to distribute the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authorities’ Additional Restrictions Grant. This grant went to Sheffield-based artists and companies, with a focus on performing arts.
This summer, Theatre Deli also helped engage local dance artists and communities in ‘The Supercompensation Cycle’, a large-scale dance project created as part of the celebrations surrounding the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 in Sheffield.
David Ralf, executive director and chief executive of Theatre Deli, said: “After a string of recent news stories revealing the precarity of essential Sheffield arts venues and infrastructure – most obviously highlighted in headlines about the Leadmill – we are determined and delighted to be able to create what we hope will be a significant and reliable resource to Sheffield’s artists and communities, and I’m pleased to be working collaboratively with Key Fund and CADS to make it happen.”
Karen Hobson, investment manager, Central Yorkshire and Humber, for Key Fund, added: “I am so pleased that Theatre Deli’s investment proposal was approved by Key Fund’s Investment Panel. As previous clients, it’s wonderful to see how Theatre Deli has grown and has been able to access social investment once again; to realise their aspirations for their new venue.
“We look forward to seeing how the venue develops over the coming months and I personally look forward to working with David and the team to support them in their social impact ambitions, whilst cultivating a vibrant cultural space in Sheffield.”