A PETITION to save two Southampton theatres has been presented to civic chiefs.

City councillors have been asked to do everything they can to save  the future of Nuffield Southampton Theatres’ two venues – the NST City in the cultural quarter and the Nuffield Theatre at the University of Southampton.

The news comes as Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST) went into administration in May after the coronavirus  crisis wiped out its income.

But at the start of this month administrators said they had no choice but to make all 86 staff redundant.

As reported, last month Southampton casting director Annelie Powell launched a petition asking Southampton City Council to save the future of the theatres in the city. The petition was signed by more than 12,000 people.

Ms Powell presented it to councillors at this week's full council meeting. She said: “I am here to ask you that you do everything in your power to support the transition to a new operator and if no operator can be found that the council reinstates the trust and provides that funding that was promised.”

The 36-year-old from Southampton also stressed the important role the theatres play in the city.

Cllr Satvir Kaur, cabinet member for culture at the city council, said the NST had been struggling financially for some time and the pandemic was “the final nail in the coffin”.

But she added: “We have always funded NST. Our funding has not gone any where. We are working closely with Arts Council England. It is important that we work with stakeholders and partners. Ensuring that we do work together to ensure that we do have a viable, credible, operator, that is what we are trying to do here. I would like to reassure you, the people who have signed this petition and members  that we are working towards that.  To ensure that in order for whoever we work with moving forward is a success we need to work with somebody that can deliver a long term solution for us and that is what we are working towards.”

Cllr Kaur had previously pledged to support the administrators and work with partners to find a way forward with the £1.9m funding ring fenced by Arts Council England.

The news comes as civic chiefs are to bid for Southampton to become City of Culture 2025.