Two emergency grants totalling nearly £20,000 have ensured a community arts trust and a theatre company can survive the coronavirus pandemic.

The Arts Council have given Felixstowe Creative Arts Trust (F-CAT), based at the 2 Sisters venue in Trimley, £9,320 which has been spent on paying rent through lockdown and keeping the group afloat.

Meanwhile, the Arts Council have also granted Felixstowe-based Black and White Productions, £10,037, which will cover losses on project that had to be postponed, and towards a future event.

Suzanne Hawkes, who leads a team of volunteers at F-CAT and runs the theatre production company, described the grants as a 'life-saver after fearing the worst the the lockdown first started.

"Without this money I don't know how we would have survived," Suzanne told Nub News. "I was very glad to get the arts council funding, basically it has been a lifesaver for us.

"We had already used the money given by councils and there would have been no way we could have continued without this Arts Council support. It has been brilliant.

"We had a number of outstanding bills which we had postponed

some covered that and we had to pay the rent on our park car park otherwise we would lose it."

F-CAT, which opened to the public last year after almost five years in the making, was initially funded by grants from Felixstowe Town council, Trimley parish council, individual councillors and a music foundation, that money was used getting the venture up and running.

The St Mary's church building, which is leased from the diocese, was converted into an arts venue, a bar, lighting and sound equipment was secured and other bills paid for.

However, as welcome as the Arts Council grant is and how it has helped stabilise F-CAT, the Trust will need more funding moving forward.

Volunteer Suzanne explained: "We need money behind us for when we open, which we hope will be September.

"Groups that come need paying, they usually ask for a fee or we do a box office split, usually though jazz groups ask for a set fee.

"We need money for publicity, and also to try and improve sound and lighting. There will not be art funding in the usual way going forward for along long time."

Suzanne, who also works as book-keeper to bring to keep the wolf from the door, admitted she feared her true love was in jeopardy in March.

"When lockdown first happened I must admit I was in total despair, she said, "because as far as Black and White Production goes, we work project by project as we don't have money behind us.

"We get paid by project. If we could not work then we will have no income

"From that point of view it would have been impossible to keep going."

Following last year's relatively successful launch and growing popularity of the performances put on, bookings by a wide range of creative groups, it is anticipated the venue and F-CAT can restart in September, with a programme including jazz bands, dance groups, exhibitions and other performers.

Suzanne said: "Some things booked in for the Autumn, some were previously booked and wanted to stay with us."

Talented professional writer Suzanne has been working on a new project during lockdown about Daniel Defoe who authored 'A Journal of the Plague Year'.

"It is amazing how many similarities there are between their experience of the plague in in 1664 and our experiences of Covid," said Suzanne.

"I have written a number of scenes for Zoom, we are gradually releasing them on YouTube."

Watch here...

She has also written a play about the Battle of Britain, which was going be shown in May, now scheduled for September.

Former poet Suzanne has written 25 plays since 2005, many based on historic events in East Anglia and performances are held in unusual local venues.

Last year her play about the Cold War, was performed in a teepee in Bawdsey, Bentwaters and Landguard Fort.

Another plays about Felixstowe saw her taking people around on a vintage bus over four weekends, telling stories about Wallace Simpson, suffragettes and even an infamous Securicor van thief.

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