Cirencester's Barn Theatre was praised for its work to help the community in lockdown during Oral Questions at the House of Commons on Thursday.

During the questions to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, The Cotswolds MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown asked the following regarding whether smaller theatres will be included in the £1.57 billion Cultural Support Fund.

“Thank you Mr Speaker. My honourable friend will know from his visit to The Cotswolds last Saturday (July 4) how important tourism is.

"In particular, the arts are very important and the Barn Theatre in Cirencester is a relatively new theatre, highly innovative, through the Covid period has done an awful lot to keep people informed through social media about the government guidance.

"Will he ensure in the guidance of this new £1.5 billion money for theatres and the arts that that theatre and other small theatres like it get their fair share of the money?”

Nigel Huddleston MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Mid Worcestershire, Conservative) responded with: “Well I’d also like to thank the Barn Theatre for all they have done to help the local community during the coronavirus crisis and indeed tourism, leisure and arts businesses right across the country, and it was a pleasure to visit some of them in his constituency last weekend.

"I can confirm the purpose of the £1.57 billion Cultural Support Fund is to support organisations across the cultural sector, right across the country, including those who do not have a history of receiving public fundings.

"More information on the eligibility criteria and application process will be coming by the end of this month and I encourage the Barn Theatre to apply”.

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A spokesman for the Barn Theatre said: ‪"A moment of thanks to our local MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown for bringing up the Barn Theatre’s work during lockdown in the House of Commons.

"We eagerly await further information on the application process and criteria for eligibility for the Cultural Support Fund."‬