Arts Organisations Across England to Receive Share of £257M Culture Recovery Fund

The fund is part of the government’s £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19. 

The #HereForCulture campaign has been created to enable cultural organisations that have been affected by the crisis to stay afloat, providing them with support over a 6-month period, to ensure that by 31 March 2021 they can reopen. This could be on a full or part-time basis, or operating on a sustainable, cost-efficient basis until they are able to reopen at a later date. 

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “The government is here for culture and we have worked around the clock to get this funding to arts organisations. It will give many of our wonderful theatres, museums, art groups and cultural venues a helping hand to get them back on their feet. 

“This money will get to work right across the country to save these places and protect jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds is on the way for cultural organisations of all sizes that still need our help.”

Recipients include The Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which will receive £740,000 to help it live stream fortnightly concerts from the Bridgewater Hall. The Cavern club, one of Liverpool’s top tourist attractions and birthplace of The Beatles, gets £525,000 to fund the recording of local musicians’ live performances which will then be streamed online. The Young Vic in London will receive £961,455 to help it partially reopen between October and March, as well as remotely operate its directors programme and outreach work.

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England said: “Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. 

“This is a difficult time for us all, but this first round of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will help sustain hundreds of cultural spaces and organisations that are loved and admired by local communities and international audiences. Further funding will be announced later in the month and we are working hard to support creative organisations and individuals during these challenging times.”

A second round of funding is set to be announced later this month. 

For the full list of Culture Recovery Fund recipients, click here.