Bradford theatre company closes due to ‘precarious’ funding climate

Freedom Studios will begin winding down its operations, with its work anticipated to cease at the end of the current financial year.

In a statement, the Bradford-based new writing theatre company expressed “sadness” that the closure would “leave a hole” in a sector that “lacks new writing and talent development opportunities”.

Established in 2007, Freedom Studios is known for highlighting the voices of South Asian and ethnically diverse people, young people and working-class communities.

It originated from the Asian Theatre School, which began in 1997 as a partnership between Red Ladder Theatre Company and Theatre in the Mill.

Between 2015 and 2022, Freedom Studios received £140,949 each year from Arts Council England (ACE) as a National Portfolio Organsiation (NPO) but was unsuccessful in its application for funding for the 2023-2026 period, which it says negatively impacted its finances.

‘A hole in the sector’

In a statement, Freedom Studios said the charity raised new funds to continue successfully delivering its programmes. However, it added that “in this precarious climate”, it has “struggled” to secure new funding.

“The trustees have taken the extremely difficult decision to begin winding down the charity in an orderly fashion,” said the company.

It added, “Our original mission to pioneer the voice of our communities through plays, new writing, and co-creation remains as important as ever.

“We leave a hole in the sector which sadly lacks new writing and talent development opportunities, and hope there is the opportunity for others to take up this space in our stead.”

‘Passing the baton’

Chair of Freedom Studios Bhavisha Kukadia-Moran told Arts Professional that the closure had been a “difficult decision”, adding that funding “is only one part of the story”.

“We all know that the sector is squeezed and that funders cannot fund everybody. A huge slice of arts funding actually ends up going to landlords and utilities as the costs of running organisations rises ever higher,” said Kukadia-Moran. 

“There is also a real need for strong, resilient, ambitious leadership and the pressure of this also weighs heavily on the success of organisations.

“As a board of dedicated volunteers, we have made this decision based on the fact we’d never want to deliver half measures. We have had some wonderful successes and feel proud of the space  Freedom Studios has held for writers and dramaturgs in Bradford.

“Creatives, artists, staff and audiences deserve high-quality opportunities and experiences, and sometimes the baton has to be passed.”

Former NPO closures

Freedom Studios is the second former NPO to announce its closure this week.

On Tuesday (16 December), London-based immersive arts organisation Coney announced that it will close in April 2025 after more than 16 years of operation due to funding challenges.

Last November, Arts Professional reported that over a dozen organisations that failed to secure NPO funding from ACE for the 2023-26 investment period had either closed or announced plans to close, while other organisations that lost their portfolio status have announced cutbacks and restructures.