The Stage

Jones requests final £1.1 million for Hackney Empire

Published Tuesday 8 June 2004 at 14:05 by Ruth Gillespie

Griff Rhys Jones has appealed for further donations to make up the remaining £1.1 million needed to complete Hackney Empire’s refurbishment project.

The east London venue was closed for three years while it underwent a major redevelopment and finally opened in January after suffering several setbacks. Jones took on the task of spearheading the fundraising appeal in 1997 and announced in March 2001, at the start of the building project, that the target figure of £15 million had already been attained.

However, an extra £1.1 million is now needed to complete a wing adjacent to the main building, which will house an education studio and hospitality suite.

In a letter to potential sponsors, Jones wrote: “Factors beyond our control, such as building inflation and the fallout from our former contractors going into receivership, have thrown us back on the street fundraising. We have made good progress but are left with a final £1.1 million to find.

“The unfinished site contains the education studio where, when it is finished, every year thousands of children from east London will take part in productions, literary schemes and workshops. In a beleaguered borough, where opportunities are few, the Empire’s education programme is not a luxury but a vital resource.”

Jones added that opportunities still exist for sponsors to name dressing rooms, boxes and the education space itself.