Darlington Hippodrome Customers Donate Over £10,000 to A Place For Everyone

Customers have made over £10,000 of donations to the Darlington Hippodrome's A Place for Everyone fund since the temporary closure of the theatre due to the health crisis. on 16 March. Ticketholders for cancelled productions were offered full refunds but were also given the option to donate some or all of the value of their ticket.

Heather Tarran-Jones, Programming and Fundraising Director, says 'we have been incredibly heartened by the proportion of customers who have chosen to make a donation to the Hippodrome at what is a difficult time for us all. As well as donations via the box office during the refund process, we've also received a number of generous donations from customers who have written or emailed in. These donations are hugely appreciated and will help the theatre to weather this storm and go forth into the future. Unfortunately, we have had to cancel a number of shows, but the vast majority have been rescheduled for a later date. We're really missing our customers and can't wait to welcome them to the venue again as soon as it's safe to do so.'

The theatre's A Place for Everyone fund opens up the theatre to audiences, practitioners and performers, regardless of social, physical or economic barriers. Heather Tarran-Jones continues 'the country is in a time of great economic uncertainty and when the venue re-opens, it will be more important than ever to enable people from all backgrounds to come to the Hippodrome and experience the transformative power of theatre and the arts. Donations from the public will make this possible which in turn supports the running costs of the theatre.'

If you would like to make a donation to the theatre's A Place for Everyone fund, please telephone the box office on 01325 405405 or email hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk. You can also name a seat in the theatre as a special gift or a fitting tribute to a loved one, and payments for this can be spread over ten months. For more information, contact the box office or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk.