THE loss of Levelling Up funds would put “life-changing” improvements to a city theatre at risk.
Worcester had been promised £5 million to spend on cultural and heritage projects by the previous Conservative government - but this could be withdrawn by Labour.
Some of the cash had been earmarked to help fund an accessible lift and changing places toilet at the Swan Theatre.
The city council had agreed to allocate £155,000 of the Levelling Up money to the project, with £45,000 coming from Worcester Theatres.
Sarah-Jane Morgan, chief executive of Worcester Theatres, said: “Without the Levelling up Funding it will be very difficult for Worcester Theatres to find the money to make these improvements in the immediate future.
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“The Swan Theatre is and will remain, for the foreseeable future, Worcester’s biggest performance venue.
“It is a building that has seen little updating, modernisation, or improvement since it was built in 1965 and although the staff has accessibility and inclusion as part of their core values, the building and its infrastructure does not support this.
“Without the Levelling Up funding the Swan Theatre is a venue that is not fit for purpose in terms of its accessibility for our disabled patrons.
“The addition of a platform lift and changing places toilet are the first steps towards making life-changing improvements to our venue and would be supporting our aims and ambitions to widen the cultural engagement opportunities for Worcester.”
Paul Jagger a Liberal Democrat campaigner from Worcester, said the theatre is “a cherished part of Worcester’s cultural life, but needs to be accessible to everyone”.
“This lift upgrade isn’t a luxury - it’s a necessity to ensure that people with mobility challenges can enjoy everything the theatre has to offer,” he said.
“If this funding is withdrawn, it would be a huge blow to the theatre and to the values of inclusion and accessibility that Worcester stands for.
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“We need to send a strong message to the government that Worcester deserves this investment.”
Worcester MP Tom Collins has said the Levelling Up fund was “never backed up by any budget”.
The government’s consultation on the funding ends in December.
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