Government Covid-19 grants funding
The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced details of how the £880m grants element of the government's investment package will be distributed.
In this first round of funding £622m will be distributed as follows:
- £500m Culture Recovery Fund: Grants programme overseen by Arts Council England to support institutions across the arts and cultural sector including theatres, music and comedy venues and museums. This allocation includes £2.25m in targeted immediate, emergency support for grassroots music venues already announced.
- £30m grant scheme for independent cinemas distributed by the British Film Institute
- £92m grant scheme to protect heritage sites distributed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England
The remaining £258m will be reserved for a second round of funding later in the financial year to meet the developing needs of organisations.
In response to the announcement, Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan says:
We are pleased that further details have been announced about how some of the government’s £1.57bn arts rescue package will be allocated as swift distribution of this funding is essential to ensure the survival of many theatres. We particularly welcome the reference to smaller organisations and local significance in the DCMS announcement because small theatres outside our major city and town centres play a vital role in the ecology of the theatre sector, as places that nurture new talent and that serve their local communities.