The Brighton Dome has been awarded $80,000 (£52,700) by the American Express Foundation to restore some of its heritage features.
The grant will enable a variety of improvements including renovations of the Dome’s decorative pinnacles, distinctive mosaic flooring and upgrades to the Concert Hall’s art deco ceiling.
The grant is a continuation of a decades-long relationship between Amex and the Dome. The foundation has been lead partners in the venue’s access programme, which has seen a new audio-visual hub in its foyer with information about its history.
The programme has also seen live-streamed shows, stagetext captioned and British Sign Language interpreted shows, and relaxed peformances for people with autism and other learning difficulties introduced.
Tim McClimon, president of the foundation, who recently visited the venue in person to explore some of the impacts of the partnership first-hand, said: “We have enjoyed a longstanding and fruitful relationship with Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival which forms such an integral part of the city and local community.
“We are proud to fund Brighton Dome’s restorations to help ensure the venue can continue to sustain and attract visitors for years to come.”
Andrew Comben, Chief Executive Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival said: “Access to the arts for all is fundamental to our work at Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival.
“The generous and committed support of the American Express Foundation has been invaluable in enabling us to deliver major improvements and work towards our mission to inspire creativity and enrich lives through the arts.”
