Boss of Yeadon Town Hall theatre says they need a 'miracle' to survive pandemic after missing out on crucial arts funding

But the Leeds venue fears it is unlikely to survive the Covid-19 pandemic after being snubbed for lifesaving arts funding, and may have to be sold to property developers unless a miracle happens.

The 140-year-old Grade-II listed building is used as a theatre and concert venue in present day, as well as hosting indoor community markets and other events.

CEO Jamie Hudson, said he felt "let down and betrayed" logging on to the Arts Council platform this week to discover he had missed out on even a penny of the £3m grant he applied for.

He said that, although the rejection was not personal, he felt hurt at the suggestion the Town Hall - which is Leeds' third biggest theatre supporting "so many people in the community" - was not deemed culturally significant.

Mr Hudson joined hundreds of other business owners forced to swallow their pride and congratulate successful applicants while worrying about the future.

"The 1,385 organisations that received good news filled social media with their merriment," he said.

"For me, this was a further kick in the teeth. To feel rejected then witness other theatres and venues similar to Yeadon Town Hall receive funds was even more heartbreaking."

He added that he was also surprised to see the "lottery" in which some businesses had been offered grants while others which were similar had been turned down.

"Why should company 'A' in one town get funding, but company 'B' from another town who do exactly the same thing, get none?" he added.

One instance was 35-year-old Leeds company Zig Zag Lighting Ltd, which supplies lighting for concerts and has lit the stage for names including Nirvana and Joe Strummer, missing out on a £140,000 grant while competitors Colour Sound received £373,000.

Mr Hudson added: "Those that were successful won big time and those that failed were left with nothing. This feels completely unfair and unjust."

The CEO said Yeadon Town Hall was now relying on a "miracle" to survive the pandemic, and that, if forced to close, it may be sold or turned into flats.

“It’s very unlikely that would ever be returned back to a cultural venue,” he said.

“Unless there’s some kind of urgent action in the next two months, venues will simply close, and those that didn’t receive the funding will simply disappear.”

He added that the failure to protect so many cultural organisations had created "an incredible divide of bitterness between those that received money and those that have not".

"What happens to the losers?" he said.

"Do they limp on or give up and retrain whilst those that did receive money prosper and know that their coffers are refilled? What about the mental health of the staff of these organisations that have been so wrongfully rejected?"

A spokeswoman for the Arts Council said: "It’s important to note that Monday’s announcement was just the first in a series of announcements to be made on the Culture Recovery Fund, with more awards coming soon for grants of under £1m made in round two, and for over £1m in both rounds, plus the Repayable Finance programme.

"We needed to make difficult decisions, as our funds were oversubscribed, and on balance some applications were preferred over others.  This was a demand-led fund, with strict criteria set by Government, and we prioritised immediate financial need."

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been contacted for comment.