Brighton & Hove City Council, Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove and Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival are delighted to announce that their joint vision to revitalise the Royal Pavilion Estate has been awarded nearly £5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The money will help to pay for a major refurbishment of the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange and the Studio Theatre. The project forms the first phase of an ambitious regeneration of the Royal Pavilion Estate to create a world-class cultural destination for heritage, culture and the performing arts in the heart of the city.

The £4.99m HLF funding (which includes development phase support) comes on top of £5.8m pledged by Arts Council England, along with money from the city council, charitable trusts and individual patrons (see notes to editors). Together this now secures 66% of the funding required for the project.

Refurbishment and essential conservation work will secure the future of the Corn Exchange, a Grade I listed building, and the Grade ll listed Studio Theatre. Breathtaking and previously hidden heritage spaces will be restored for public viewing, and a new interpretation strategy and activity plan for the Estate will be developed to reveal inspirational stories, unfold layers of history, thought and knowledge and help more people learn, understand and care about the Estate and its history. Work is due to start in the autumn of this year.

Councillor Warren Morgan, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council said: “We are delighted that the bid for Heritage Lottery funding for this important project has been successful. It marks a major step forward in our joint plans to transform these unique historic assets, to enable more local people and visitors from around the world to enjoy them, and secure the future of the entire estate, which includes the Royal Pavilion, for generations to come.”

Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, said: “We are delighted that Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has confirmed its significant support for this major redevelopment project. This is tremendous news. It is a fantastic endorsement of our vision and – alongside major contributions from Arts Council England (ACE), other charitable trusts and individual donors – creates a really strong foundation with which to launch our public appeal in the coming months.”

Stuart McLeod, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East, said: “Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we’re delighted to support this first crucial step towards the regeneration of Brighton’s cultural heart and securing the future of two of the city’s historic listed buildings.”