VAULT - the creators of VAULT Festival, the UK’s leading independent festival of live performance for underrepresented artists - has announced that their first fundraising gala is now on sale. VAULT Gala: Light at the End of the Tunnel, will take place on 19th March in the Assembly Hall of the iconic Shoreditch Town Hall to raise funds towards the opening of VAULT’s new cutting edge central London venue which is due to open later this year. 

The Gala will see an evening full of glamour, decadence and entertainment, held one year to the day since VAULT closed the doors of VAULT Festival for the final time in their original home, sparking the search for a new home to secure their future. With a new venue now secured, the gala will not only raise funds for VAULT's new location, but also celebrate resilience, hope, a fervent commitment to the arts as the organisation enters into a new era, highlighting the challenges to the survival of arts venues over the last few years. Attendees can expect:

• A drink reception followed by a three course meal of seasonal and sustainable dishes from forward thinking East London catering company Juniper & Co accompanied by bubbles, wine, cocktails and artisanal beers from drinks partner Lost and Grounded Brewers. 
• An auction hosted by a soon to be revealed leading performer where guests can bid on exclusive experiences and memorabilia
• Performances from top comedians, cabaret and drag artists representing the spirit and vibrancy of VAULT 

To cover the costs of the new venue, VAULT is raising money through a range of means including repayable social investment, grants from trusts and foundations, as well as public giving initiatives. In 2023, VAULT raised £62,572 including £22,914 in just one week through the Big Give Christmas Challenge to fund captioning, hearing loop and audio description equipment to help make their new venue accessible to as many people as possible. VAULT Gala is their latest fundraising initiative aiming to fundraise £40,000 to support the fit out cost of their new home, including structural works and production and technical infrastructure. Additionally, VAULT will be launching the #BuildVAULT public donations drive in February, aiming to raise £12,000 to go towards venue infrastructure, giving people the opportunity to sponsor different elements of the new venue, from individual toilets to entire spaces.

2024 is an exciting year for VAULT with the launch of their brand new venue and the triumphant return of their flagship event VAULT Festival this autumn. VAULT’s festival of live work-in-progress shows, A Pinch of VAULT, is also returning for a third year showcasing new works from leading independent performance makers taking place at The Glitch and venues across Waterloo and Bankside from 12th February - 10th March. Tickets and programme available at www.wearevault.org/apov24 

VAULT Gala: Light at the End of the Tunnel will take place on Tuesday 19th March at Shoreditch Town Hall, Assembly Hall with limited tickets available at www.wearevault.org/gala.  Seats at the VAULT Gala are £230, which includes a champagne reception, a three-course dinner, drinks and an evening of extraordinary entertainment. Limited early bird tickets are available for £210 when booked before 1st February.