The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield has launched a public funding campaign to raise £50,000 to go towards the major refurbishment of its venue.

Renovation of the theatre has been delayed due to the pandemic but the work is scheduled to get underway in June.

Plans include redeveloping the auditorium with new seating, designed with better sight lines and more accessibility options; plus a brand new wheelchair-accessible dressing room with its six existing dressing rooms also being renovated.

A currently unused area of the building will be transformed into a dedicated participation area to allow for increased community work, and the theatre’s technical equipment will be upgraded to ensure it is more environmentally sustainable.

It is hoped that the work will be complete by September when the theatre plans to reopen with a series of events, pending government guidelines.

This will be the first major building work to take place at Lawrence Batley since its opening 26 years ago.