A multi-million-pound project to create a “happiness centre” in honour of Liverpool comedy legend Sir Ken Dodd has been cancelled after failing to secure funding. The £15 million centre, planned for construction next to the Royal Court Theatre, was approved by Liverpool Council last year. It was envisioned as a cultural landmark, showcasing Sir Ken’s extensive personal collection of artefacts and joke books, while also offering performance spaces for emerging entertainers.
The trustees of the scheme, including Sir Ken’s widow Lady Anne Dodd, announced with regret that the project would not move forward after the National Heritage Lottery Fund declined to provide financial backing. As a result, the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation (KDCF), which Sir Ken had established before his death in 2018 to support performing arts charities, has withdrawn from the initiative.
For eight months, KDCF and the Royal Court Liverpool Trust (RCLT) collaborated in search of alternative funding sources. Despite pledges from the foundation to cover two-thirds of the construction cost and significant investments in planning and design, both organisations acknowledged that the current climate for public funding posed insurmountable challenges.
Lady Anne Dodd expressed her disappointment, highlighting that the centre would have served as a fitting tribute to Sir Ken, not only as a museum but also as a hub to encourage and support new talent. She described the loss of the project as a missed opportunity to honour a man celebrated nationwide, far beyond his native Liverpool.
Echoing the sentiment, Gillian Miller, chief executive of the Royal Court Theatre, noted that there simply were not enough funds available to meet the demands of so many competing cultural projects at this time. The decision brings an end to what many hoped would have been a lasting legacy to one of Britain’s most beloved comedians.
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