Building work is about to start on iconic music venue St George’s Bristol £5.5m extension in September following the award of a major grant.
The charity which runs the former church off Park Street has received the official go ahead from its biggest funders Arts Council England (ACE) and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). 
St George’s needed 90% partnership funding in place by the end of June to be able to draw down the ACE and HLF grants.
Bristol City Council cabinet members and Bristol mayor Marvin Rees gave their support with a £600,000 grant as part of a wider cultural funding package.
The venue, which specialises in classical, world, jazz and folk music as well as family and spoken word events, has had Avon Archaeology on site in preparation for the building work.
So far St George’s has raised £5.2m from ACE, HLF, as well as charitable trusts, major donors and corporates including the Garfield Weston, Foyle, and Wolfson Foundations, and Bristol firms including Burges Salmon, Smith and Williamson and Sift.
Leading construction company Galliford Try, which has a regional base in Bristol, has won the tender for the project.
The pavilion-style extension includes multi-purpose spaces for special events, education workshops, a café bar and improved access.
The crypt will house a heritage display retelling long-forgotten stories of the original church building, its music history and the surrounding area.
The project ensures St George’s is fit for purpose for the 21st century, enhancing its high-quality experience for audience members, artists and schoolchildren, as well as giving it a financially sustainable future.
The work will start as St George’s celebrates its 40th year as a concert venue and its 30th year of staging evening performances.
Chief executive Suzanne Rolt said: “I’m delighted that Mayor Marvin Rees has shown his support for the vital role St George’s plays in the cultural life of Bristol. This grant means we are now within striking distance of our £5.5m target and our capital project is secure.
“Our ‘Building a Sound Future’ project will improve, extend and upgrade St George’s to make it fit-for-purpose in the 21st century.
“It will enable us to offer facilities for audiences and artists that reflect our high quality of artistic work.
“The new extension offers multi-purpose spaces for special events, education workshops and venue hire, as well as a café bar and improved access. It will give us a long-term and financially sustainable future, which in turn will enable us to deliver our ambitious education and outreach programme.
“As an independent music venue and registered charity we rely on backing from funders. This support from Bristol City Council enables us to secure grants from Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund.
“Now we can create the kind of facilities that everyone in Bristol can access and enjoy.”
Mayor Rees said supporting local venues was a big part of sustaining Bristol’s cultural economy and the investment in St George’s – along with Colston Hall and Bristol Old Vic – would help them secure their futures as centres of culture.
“It’s important that we invest in the city’s cultural infrastructure much like we do our housing and transport,” he said.
“This sector contributes over £260m a year to the city’s economy, creating jobs, boosting tourism and supporting local business and enterprise. I will continue to work with partners globally, nationally and locally to ensure that the sector continues to thrive.”
The ambitious project is due for completion in October next year.
