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At the heart of London’s independent theatre scene, the Phoenix Art Club has been entertaining crowds for over three decades. From cabaret and drag acts to comedy nights, it welcomes more than 100,000 guests a year for nearly 1000 performances and has become a precious hub for theatre-lovers, emerging talent and creatives alike.
But thanks to soaring running costs and no current external funding, the club’s future is worryingly uncertain. It has now launched a crowdfunder to raise £125,000 – the amount it needs to run each year.
Donations will allow the club to securely put on productions this year. The venue has a ‘not for profit’ operation as a Community Interest Company, meaning all money goes towards the community not the business .
The Phoenix Art Club was able to recover from the pandemic through an Arts Council England Grant, which helped improve their audio/visual systems and provided theatre training opportunities. But as we all know, London rates take no prisoners.
Money raised from the crowdfunder will support local performers and theatre professionals. The club also hopes to update their space with new staging, specialised theatre headphones, and a baby grand piano.
Over the years the club has hosted performances by many big names, including MOBO star Laura Mvula and the Scissor Sisters, as well many theatre productions which have transferred to larger London stages.
You can donate to the ‘Keep the Phoenix Flying’ crowdfunder here.
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