Artist makes mini Harrogate Theatre to help support the real thing
Artist Caitlin Mawhinney's made a miniature version of Harrogate Theatre to help raise vital funds for the performing arts venue
Last updated 18th Jan 2021
A set and costume designer from Knaresborough has made a miniature Harrogate Theatre to auction off.
Caitlin Mawhinney's been making the mini theatre since November and hopes the money raised will help the with the theatre's HT Together campaign.
She said: "With the theatre being closed it's a terrible loss for them in terms of revenue, so when I saw they'd launched the HT Together campaign for their emergency fund I thought I could help out.
"Harrogate Theatre have helped me loads in my career, right from the very start, so I really want to be able to pay them back.
"I've been making models all through lockdown just because it's something I enjoy doing and with the HT Together campaign I wanted to find a way how I could help so by making a model of the theatre seemed the best way.
"Why not make it into some art work and make something really positive?"
Back in October, Harrogate Theatre were awarded ÂŁ249,820 as part of the Government's 1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help face the financial challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and help them survive.
But Miss Mawhinney says just because they had the funding, doesn't mean local people can't still help them out.
She said: "Especially since they got Government funding a lot of people would think "oh well they've had some help, that's enough" but it's not. That money doesn't help the people who work there, 60 per cent of staff have been made redundant so we need to keep campaigning.
HT Together was launched by Harrogate Theatre to raise funds for the performing arts industry.
The theatre are sharing stories from the community of how the arts can "inspire, delight and entertain".
People can support the HT Together campaign by making a donation, calling the Box Office to buy vouchers, join the membership scheme, sponsoring a seat in the Auditorium or sharing the campaign.