Culture Recovery Fund
The Culture Recovery Fund is a grants programme issued by the UK Government as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The fund aims to financially support cultural organisations in England (such as theatres, museums, and music venues) which had become financially unviable as a result of national and local restrictions. It is administered by Arts Council England.[1]
Foundation and management[]
The fund was initially announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak in July 2020 as a "one-off investment in UK culture".[2] Sunak announced that the fund would be valued at £1.57 billion. Damon Buffini was announced as the chair of the Culture Recovery Board, the body tasked with managing the fund.[3]
Culture Recovery Board[]
The culture recovery fund is administered by the culture recovery board, which comprises 11 members appointed by the DCMS.[4] They are:
- Sir Damon Buffini (Chair)
- Neil Mendoza (Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal)
- Sir Nicholas Serota (Chair of Arts Council England)
- Sir Laurie Magnus (Chair of Historic England)
- (Chair of NLHF)
- Jay Hunt (BFI Governor (Board Member)
- (Director for Arts, Heritage and Tourism at DCMS)
- Claire Whitaker (Independent Board Member)
- Baroness Kate Fall (Independent Board Member)
- (Independent Board Member)
- Samir Shah (Independent Board Member)
Grants issued[]
The first 135 venues to receive money from the fund were announced on 22 August 2020. This first phase included only grassroots music ventues such as Birmingham's , Brighton's and Manchester's Gorilla.[5]
A large group of beneficiaries of the grants was announced on 12 October 2020. This phase totalled £257 million divided between 1,385 venues.[6] A further announcement was made on 17 October 2020 of an additional £76 million between a further 588 organisations.[7] The beneficiaries of this phase of the grants includes the Military Wives Choir, Somerset House, and the Puppet Theatre Barge.[8]
The second round of large grants was issued on 2 April 2021. It distributed £262 million to 2,272 venues.[9] The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) also announced it was funding £82 million of loans to cultural landmarks and institutions.[10]
Another phase occurred in October 2021, with 142 sites receiving a share of a £35 million injection into the fund.[11]
References[]
- ^ "Culture Recovery Fund: Grants". Arts Council England. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ "UK Government Reveals £1.57 Billion Arts Support Package". The Quietus. 6 July 2020.
- ^ "Dowden: 'Jump-start' for UK's leading creative industries". GOV.UK.
- ^ "FAQs: About the programme. Who sits on the Culture Recovery Board?". Arts Council England. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Government announce first 135 music venues to receive emergency grants". NME. 22 August 2020.
- ^ Lucy Thraves (12 October 2020). "Arts organisations receive £257 million in grants from Culture Recovery Fund". Classical Music.
- ^ "588 more arts organisations saved by £76 million in latest Culture Recovery Fund grants". Gov.uk. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ Lizzie Edmonds (17 October 2020). "Latest round of £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund beneficiaries include Military Wives Choir". Evening Standard.
- ^ "£262m awarded for second round of Culture Recovery Fund". Arts Professional. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ "£400 million to help more than 2,700 arts, culture, heritage organisations and independent cinemas survive and thrive". Gov.uk. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ "Heritage and Craft Workers Across England Given a Helping Hand" – Historic England, 22 October 2021
- COVID-19 pandemic in England
- Grants (money)
- 2020 establishments in the United Kingdom
- Arts in the United Kingdom