The Point & The Berry Theatre

The Point and The Berry Theatres are key cultural venues in Eastleigh, offering performance spaces and facilities to local residents, companies, charities, and performers – both amateur and professional.

However, like many cultural institutions across the country, we face enormous financial pressures.

Last year Eastleigh Borough Council subsidised our venues by £664,470, but we need to reduce our reliance on the Council’s subsidy. We have been asked to reach an annual subsidy of £502,000, per year, by 2027/28. This means we must find over £162k of annual savings and absorb inflationary costs at the same time.

Along with rising operational costs, including utilities, maintenance, and staffing, this means we have to adjust our fees for community and non-commercial hires.

Without this change, the future of the venues would be at risk.

The proposed fees: 

We invited all hirers to an in-person consultation event on Monday 30th September.

Theatre Hires User Meeting

Further details, and answers to frequently asked questions, will be circulated to all hirers after this meeting, and we will continue to engage with hirers moving forward.  

Our aim is to find ways to support you through this transition. We appreciate your feedback and encourage ongoing dialogue to ensure that we can balance our financial responsibilities with supporting your valuable work. 

How can I comment on the proposed fees and charges?

You will be able to take part in this consultation from Tuesday 1st October until Tuesday 15th October. Please check back here for the survey link. 

Fill out Survey 

Your responses will help us understand how these changes might impact our users and ensure that we consider all viewpoints.

Any further comments can be submitted to consultation@thepointeastleigh.co.uk  

FAQ's

1. Why are you increasing hire fees when community groups have limited budgets?

We understand that budgets are tight, especially for community groups. Unfortunately, the cost of maintaining and running our venues has increased significantly due to rising utilities, maintenance, and staffing costs.  

Last year we subsidised community hires by around £100,000.  

We have to make this change, so that hire fees cover more of the actual costs of providing the venue and staffing for community hires. Without these changes, we would face difficult choices about the venue's future. Our goal is to keep The Point open and thriving, and this fee adjustment will help make that possible. 

2. Why have theatre hires been targeted?

The costs of running the venue, such as staffing, utilities and maintenance, have impacted on all activity. We need a fair approach that shares these costs across all users.

3. Won’t this price out smaller groups who rely on affordable spaces?

We’ve tried to balance affordability with the need to cover rising costs. Our intention is not to exclude anyone but to ensure the venues remain open for all.  

There are now different hire rates at The Point & The Berry Theatre. The higher rate at The Point reflects the higher running costs of this venue. 

We have introduced off-peak pricing at both venues and negotiated new flexibility to use additional backstage spaces at The Berry Theatre to ensure community groups still have access to a range of affordable booking options. 

4. Can the Council not find other ways to cover these costs instead of raising fees?

The future of our venues relies on a balance of income from multiple sources, and the fee adjustment is just one part of ensuring we can meet operational costs. We’re also working to increase revenue through other channels, such as commercial events, to keep community hire fees as manageable as possible. 

5. Will the increase affect the quality of services or the facilities available?

The increased fees will allow us to maintain the high standard of service and facilities that you’ve come to expect at The Point and The Berry Theatre. In fact, without these changes, we could be forced to cut services or even close the venues. By ensuring that fees reflect the real costs of operation, we’re working to keep our theatres as high-quality, welcoming, artistic spaces for everyone in the long term. 

6. What happens if groups can’t afford the new rates?

We understand that some groups may find the new rates challenging. We don’t want to lose any of our valued community partners, and we’ll do everything we can to support you through this transition and explore more affordable options across both our venues. 

7. How are community groups being consulted?

We value our relationships with community groups and understand the importance of communication. The Council is following it’s democratic process to consider how best to ensure the long-term viability of The Point and The Berry Theatre.