The Hall For Cornwall has been awarded £2 million today to help it complete a major restoration and reopen next year.

The theatre and arts centre in Truro is undergoing a total transformation that has seen the Grade II listed building entirely gutted to make way for a greatly enlarged auditorium, new cafés, bars, and creative business space.

But the £21.6 million project has been hit by delays after the site was forced to shut down entirely for a month during the first lockdown, and since then construction has slowed and costs have increased as a result of social distancing rules.

The project had originally been due for completion this year but is now aiming to stage its first major show in September 2021.

Now The Arts Council England has granted £2 million from the Capital KickStart fund, part of the Government’s £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has also confirmed today that it is providing an additional £231,000 to Hall For Cornwall, bringing its total investment to £2.8m, to support the restoring and promoting of the building’s rich 175 year history and its importance as a civic and municipal space.

Dame Rosemary Squire, co-chair of trustees of the Hall For Cornwall, said: “We warmly welcome this investment. It is a vital contribution towards us realising the transformation of this well-loved theatre into a powerhouse for arts, culture and creativity for the whole of Cornwall, and we can’t wait to reopen our doors next year.”

Falmouth Packet: What the new auditorium will look likeWhat the new auditorium will look like

The Capital Kickstart fund was launched in August to help existing holders of Arts Council capital grants to complete building projects that would otherwise be stalled by the impacts of the pandemic.

Truro and Falmouth MP Cherilyn Mackrory described the Hall for Cornwall redevelopment as "a hugely important project for Cornwall," adding: "Once complete the Hall For Cornwall is expected to bring over £35 million to the Cornish economy in the first five years and create 165 jobs, and play an important role in our post-pandemic economic recovery.”

Julien Boast, Hall For Cornwall’s chief executive and creative director, said the theatre would soon be announcing details of its first major co-production for next year and everyone associated was "hugely grateful" to Arts Council England for stepping in with a grant the he described as "vital."

He also went on to thank the National Heritage Lottery Fund for its additional support and said: “The virus has delayed our reopening but that has only hardened our resolve to put together a fantastic programme of entertainment for our inaugural season.

"While we work towards completing the build we are continuing with our community activities across Cornwall, supporting local talent, young people and schools.”

Falmouth Packet: How the outside of the building should look after work is completedHow the outside of the building should look after work is completed

The transformation of the Hall For Cornwall began in 2018 and includes a new three-tiered auditorium with an additional 300 seats, or 1,253 in total, which will attract many more national touring productions. There will be new bars, cafés and communal spaces, and a creative digital business hub, which is a first for a UK regional theatre.

The aim is to attract 300,000 people annually and work with 50,000 children in every primary and secondary school in Cornwall in the first five years.

The Hall For Cornwall operates as a charity, with all surpluses invested in working with young people, increasing the impact of Cornish creative industries, and creating co-productions with Cornish and national partners.

The project is being supported by Arts Council England, Cornwall Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, HM Treasury, the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, the European Regional Development Fund and an army of passionate and committed supporters.

Other local organisations that have already received grants through the Culture Recovery Fund this year in Golowan Festival, Penzance; Kneehigh Theatre, Truro; National Maritime Museum, Falmouth; and Helston Railway Preservation Company.