The Embassy Theatre, Skegness will return live entertainment to our stage but we need your help; please support our strategic reopening plan - to thrive again, first we must survive...

We know (because 60% of you have told us) that you will return and #keepyourticket for postponed shows so we have re-scheduled 99% of all events into 2021 when we believe it will be safe and financially viable for all involved for them to take place again.

(Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra | 2018)

But for now we must survive until this can happen again...

We have taken advantage of all government assistance available to us and hope to receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund but cannot sit and wait to be rescued - this is not the Embassy way.  

Sadly the impact of redundancies has been felt across the company and at our venue we risk the loss of more than just 12 months trading... the dedicated, passionate and talented team that drives this building forward is the Embassy Experience.

We are asking you, our local customers and supporters to recognise the wide benefits of making this iconic venue thrive again; for current and future patrons - we must rebuild and we must survive to see this again, on our doorstep...

(Joseph & His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat: West End tour | 2017 with local choir)

Why are we crowdfunding?

Our theatre risks permanent closure because since lock-down was announced on March 23rd we have had no source of income and proudly relying as we do, on less than 5% of our annual turnover from public funding, this has dealt us a crushing blow.

Your donations will be used to help us deliver activity within the landscape of Covid-19 through the medium of live and pre-recorded streamed performances from the likes of National Theatre Live, The Royal Opera House and many family orientated cinema films too; all within the Embassy venue as a pre-cursor to the return of live events, performances and entertainment.

Working with local partners, we are also exploring the potential of live streaming sporting events within our venue until such time that local grounds, stadiums, can fill their stands with season ticket holders again too. 

We have been fortunate to receive financial commitment to assist with purchase of this equipment to deliver cultural product in the future from local arts group, East Lincolnshire Arts Forum (£15,000) along with a £10,000 donation from a local benefactor keen to see the project succeed and ultimately help retain both team and customer interest for the future, returning to the glory of the Embassy Theatre and the audience it entertains. Adding to these multiple individual customer donations means we have so far raised 50% of what is required to see this live streaming project take off and we need your backing to achieve the balance... 

(BBC Concert Orchestra "Ten Pieces" for 2,000+ local school children | 2019)

About the Embassy Theatre, Skegness

Operating all year round and managed by the Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture (Registered Charity No. 1160156), the venue employs a small but dedicated team who have a strong passion for the work they do, along with a team of very willing volunteers. The venue strives to deliver top class entertainment – known as the Embassy Experience.

Hundreds of stars have performed on the hallowed stage and many of them have returned time and again as both their popularity and a love of the venue have developed. Many of the artistes appearing comment on the friendliness of the team.

It isn’t just the stars that come out to play at the Embassy Theatre. The multi-purpose auditorium hosts a number of other events and works closely with the local community on a regular basis. Some of our local schools use the venue for their end of year speech days. We also host regular Blood Donor sessions and the theatre becomes the beating hub for Jobs Fairs and the annual SO Festival along with being the chosen venue for a variety of conferences.

In 2017, the Embassy Theatre, utilising the in-house skills of a small number of its team made ground-breaking steps to become not just a receiving house, but also a production house. Now producing an annual pantomime with the aim of delivering production levels and storytelling to a standard never seen before, whilst also creating employment opportunities for local professional talent to perform and up-coming talent to shine too.

Year on year, Magna Vitae Productions has also delivered increased audience and healthy returns on investment for the charity.

(Magna Vitae Productions | Aladdin, 2017)

About Save Our Theatres

In villages, towns and cities across the country, theatres are at the heart of their community. Places to come together, to be inspired and be entertained. Theatres are where our best-loved performers learn their craft and thousands of others learn valuable skills. 

But we risk losing this forever.

Theatres saw their main source of income disappear in an instant when they closed in March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Six months later, we still don’t know when they will be able to reopen fully. A decision won’t be made until November at the earliest – too late for most to put on their annual pantomime, which often provides the income to support the theatre for the rest of the year.

This ongoing uncertainty puts theatres in a perilous situation. The government’s grant application scheme is spread across all cultural organisations and certainly won’t be enough to save all of the UK’s theatres.

We are now hearing that every day, theatres are facing the tough decision to make staff redundant and to close their doors until next year. And there is a real risk that those closures could be permanent. 

Without urgent support, we could lose our nation’s amazing theatres. Please help us to make sure our theatres survive this crisis and will be there to be enjoyed by future generations.

#SaveOurTheatres

Please donate, share this page widely and do what you can to help us to make sure the Embassy Theatre survives this crisis. Thank you.