'We can't continue to support the Gaiety forever', councillor says

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Councillors have agreed to help out Ayr's Gaiety Theatre by giving them £150,000 this year - but have said that the council cannot continue to hand over money to keep it afloat.Ayr Gaiety Partnership (AGP) said it needs £150,000 in each of the next three years and, would continue to require support in future years, in order to remain viable.Over the last few years South Ayrshire Council has given thousands of pounds in grants to the iconic venue, as well as a £650,000 loan at low interest rates.Prior to May's local elections, the Gaiety's chief executive Jeremy Wyatt had told councillors that they would not only need £450,000 to keep going for the next three years, but would need support for the foreseeable future.At March's partnership panel, councillors opted to delay a decision on the request until after the election.SAC had given £335,000 to the Gaiety over the last three years, plus a further £200,000 in covid recovery funds.The request for support stated that, outside of cities, a standalone theatre commercial theatre is not viable without other forms of income and financial support.AGP also assured councillors that, in return for financial support, it would aim to bring in at least £10 for every £1 it receives in council funding, provide jobs, training and attract visitors to the area - saying it brought £1.8 million into the local economy each year.Officers told councillors that they had been unable to identify money from existing budgets for the request.Instead, it was agreed that the council would utilise £150,000 in covid recovery money to provide support this year.The request for funding in the next two years, 2023/24 and 2024/25 will be considered as part of the council's budget in March.Councillors also