The Acorn Arts Centre in Penzance will be forced to close this August due to insufficient funding. Much like The Poly in Falmouth, this much loved venue renowned for putting on quality theatre, dance, music and film nights, has been unable to generate the revenue and funds needed to cover overheads and staff.

Trustees of the Cornwall Theatre Company, which runs the venue, say the decision has been taken with ‘enormous regret’ but the Acorn has been operating within a deficit for some years and will no longer be financially viable by the end of the summer.

A petition has been started by local supporters and fans of the Centre who are desperate to see the venue secure a new, regular funding stream in order to remain open.

"It would be a crying shame to lose a great local venue like the Acorn, which does such good work bringing quality theatre and dance to audiences in west Cornwall,” says Dot Peryer, director of The Works Theatre Development Organisation. “The Acorn’s closure is a sad demonstration of the lack of funding and support that rural theatre gets in the UK, in London £89 million is spent every year on supporting theatre venues. That’s £11.60 per audience member. In Cornwall it’s just 55p a head. That’s a travesty.”

If you want to get involved in trying to save the Acorn Arts Centre, sign the petition – it could be your name that makes the difference. We’ll keep you posted on any developments.