FOUR cultural venues in eastern Somerset could be upgraded in the coming months if they receive a share of £5m from central government.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced in early-March that £5m of capital funding would be provided to cultural projects within the former Mendip area, which includes Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells.

Shepton Mallet Town Council formally asked Somerset Council in late-April to use this funding to reopen and regenerate the Amulet Theatre, which closed in 2022, to help create “an enterprising, flourishing and fairer Somerset”.

Somerset Council has now confirmed that this venue is in the running for a share of this £5m grant, along with three other venues across the former district – with a final decision on how the money will be spent expected from the new government by Christmas.

Regeneration proposals for The Amulet in Shepton Mallet.Regeneration proposals for The Amulet in Shepton Mallet. (Image: Let's Buy The Amulet) Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, portfolio holder for communities, housing revenue account, culture, equalities and diversity, confirmed the shortlist in a report published before the full council met in Bridgwater on September 26.

The four projects which are shortlisted for a share of the £5m grant are:

  1. The Lucky Chance, Frome: the former Portway Methodist Church on the A362 Portway (a stone’s throw from the Saxonvale site) has been home to the Wise Children theatre company since 2022. The theatre company wishes to make the building more wheelchair accessible and improve its garden area to enhance the visitor experience
  2. The Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury: this museum lies on Chilkwell Street, a stone’s throw from Glastonbury Tor, and has been a fixture of the town since 1975. Any successful funding bid would go towards creating an outdoor education and events space, as well as improving the insulation and heating of the building, enhancing accessibility and making it easier for people to walk and cycle between the museum and the town centre
  3. The Cheese and Grain, Frome: this iconic multifunctional building has been a fixture of Frome’s cultural scene for many years, hosting everything from a Foo Fighters concert before the Glastonbury Festival to general election hustings. Event Tec consultants wish to boost the local music industry by providing training and enhancing the venue’s existing facilities
  4. Shepton Canvas, Shepton Mallet: this wide-ranging project includes the acquisition and renovation of the Amulet Theatre for community use. It also would provide improvements to the town’s public realm and grants for local businesses and landlords to refurbish their properties

Councillor Martin Dimery (Frome West) asked for assurance that the former Mendip area would not be neglected in terms of cultural investment, regardless of how the grant funding ended up being distributed.

He said: “Unfortunately in the east of the country, we lost all funding for venues like the Merlin Theatre in Frome and the Strode Theatre in Street.

“In Frome, we have a number of venues that have managed to succeed without any funding, but they all are in need of repair, support and help.

“I would like assurance that the former Mendip area of this county hasn’t been forgotten in terms of arts provision.”

Ms Smith-Roberts responded: “The area has certainty not been forgotten.

“We obviously know that the government is reviewing all of its spending, but we hope the outcome of the grant is positive.”