QUAD looks to council for £150,000 backing after issuing ‘desperate’ plea for cash

Bosses at Derby-based arts centre QUAD have asked the City Council for a loan of £150,000 to help it get through a drop in footfall.

Council officials will vote on the plans next Wednesday (January 12) after QUAD said that the closure of the nearby Market Hall, Guildhall Theatre and Assembly Rooms has meant a hefty reduction in visitors.

QUAD wants the funding to “support cashflow” as it looks to recover from the drop in people coming through its doors. The Council has recommended that its members back the loan plan.

QUAD has also set up a GoFundMe page through which it is looking to raise a further £30,000 for a refurbishment of the building.

A statement on the website reads: “This summer we are due to celebrate 15 Years of QUAD. We are extremely proud of this achievement, and of the hundreds of thousands of lives we have been able to impact positively through our work. But our building is suffering from wear and tear, energy costs have greatly increased, and we desperately need to upgrade equipment that is essential for bringing you the activities we know you love.

“We want to be here for another 15 years and more. To continue, we need to raise enough money to carry out crucial refurbishment on our building.”