“Taunton Town Council became aware yesterday, Monday 5 October, that Taunton Theatre Association will cease operating on 31 October.
We are currently considering our position and will provide a further update when we have more information.

Taunton Town Council is deeply saddened by the news from Taunton Brewhouse, and we share the shock and disappointment being felt by residents across the town.

The Brewhouse is much more than a theatre. It is a much-loved part of Taunton’s cultural life and an important place for people to come together, enjoy live performance, take part in creative activities and experience everything that the arts can bring to a community. It also brings visitors into the town, supports local businesses and makes an important contribution to the wider local economy. The prospect of losing such an important part of Taunton’s cultural offer would have significant consequences for the town.

Taunton Town Council has already demonstrated its long-term commitment to the Brewhouse through a service level agreement, providing £105,000 annually over 5 years. We want to safeguard that investment and, importantly, the vital services and opportunities that the Brewhouse provides for our residents.

We recognise the extraordinary circumstances that have contributed to the financial crisis now facing the theatre. It is particularly difficult to see this situation arise at a time when the Taunton Brewhouse team had successfully secured £500,000 of Arts Council funding for capital improvements. That funding represented a significant investment in the future of the theatre and in Taunton itself.

We are committed to listening and to understanding what can be done to help secure the future of the Brewhouse. We would encourage the Taunton Theatre Association team to share a recovery plan and revised business plan with its partners, setting out the steps needed to put the organisation on a sustainable footing.

Once we understand that position, we can properly explore what role Taunton Town Council may be able to play. We want to do everything we reasonably can to support the future of this much-loved theatre, while also having a responsibility to protect the interests of local taxpayers and ensure that any further support is sustainable.

The Brewhouse matters enormously to Taunton. We share our residents’ passion for seeing it continue to be a vibrant part of our town, and we hope that, by working together, a sustainable way forward can be found.”