Corn Exchange and Watermill Theatre get £2m cash boost

The move was announced on Tuesday as part of the Arts Council’s investment plans for 2015 to 2018.
The Corn Exchange will receive a total of £705,000 over three years, which will predominantly be used to fund its indoor and outdoor programmes.
The Watermill Theatre will receive a total of £1,351,157 over the course of the investment programme, amounting to £450,386 a year.
A further £499,996 will be awarded separately to the Watermill as part of the Art Council’s small capital grants programme.
That additional funding is to radically improve the long-term thermal and environmental performance of the Watermill Theatre, improve audience and performer comfort and reduce running costs by the use of green mechanical technologies to create an integrated heating and cooling system in the theatre's listed buildings.
General manager at The Corn Exchange, Grant Bisland, said: “This funding from the Arts Council recognises all of our hard work over the last three or four years. It is really positive news and shows the Art Council’s confidence in what we do.
For the full story, see this week's Newbury Weekly News, out on Thursday.