Arts Council England has confirmed it is to grant Oldham Council £1.8 million over the next three years.
The move had been widely expected and the amount is that requested by Oldham Coliseum in its submission for three years of "portfolio funding" late in 2022 – a request whose refusal led to the closure of the 130+-year-old local institution in March this year.
The money will instead now support general creative and cultural activity in Oldham borough until 2026 - when the local council expects to be in a position to open the Coliseum's replacement theatre.
The redirected money will let the council offer a programme of arts and theatre, from commissioned work to small touring shows and even festivals. The money will also offer a lifeline to Oldham Theatre Workshop and the Oldham Coliseum company, the latter of which continues to operate without a theatre. The Coliseum company has been promised a place in the new theatre as the chief - but not sole - tenant.