Unicorn Theatre receives Arts Council funding boost

Arts Council England announced on Tuesday that the Unicorn Theatre will receive a 30 per cent increase in its financial support, taking its annual grant to £1.3 million.

"Children's theatre has come a long way since the Unicorn was founded in 1947, and it's a terrific milestone to be recognised in this funding round as being equally important to the cultural life of the nation as any of the country's leading theatres," said Purni Morell, artistic director of the Unicorn.

"We're absolutely committed to making this vital public investment count, not just for the Unicorn but for the whole of children's theatre in the UK, as we embark on an ambitious programme of commissions, productions, tours and talent development, as ever, working with some of the best artists around, and continuing to push expectations of what can be achieved in children's arts ever higher."
 
Unicorn ambassador Jude Law said: "The Unicorn is one of the most important theatres in the UK today. Children's theatre has long been sidelined, but the work going on at the Unicorn is vibrant, with shows there to rival the best European theatre, and a bold belief in children's ability to understand and respond to complex questions and ideas.  I'm delighted to continue to work with the Unicorn team in the next thrilling stage of the theatre's evolution."

The Unicorn Theatre has been in Tooley Street for the past nine years.

Most other venues in SE1 funded by Arts Council England have seen their grants remain more or less constant.

The Design Museum, this week celebrating 25 years in Shad Thames but planning to leave the area next year, is funded for the first time.