Cultural venues given lifeline in Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund

Cultural venues across Merseyside and the North West including the Cavern and the Bluecoathave been given a funding lifeline worth more than £5million.

Cavern City Tours, Bluecoat, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Court and Unity Theatres, and the Everyman & Playhouse, are among 30 recipients who have been awarded Government grants from the Culture Recovery Fund.

Storyhouse in Chester and the Atkinson in Southport are also among 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country who will share in a total of £257million, it was announced today.

We were extremely relieved to receive the news this morning that we were successful in our Arts Council grant application and have been awarded £525,000 to help The Cavern Club combat the effects of coronavirus.
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— The Cavern Club (@cavernliverpool) October 12, 2020

Bluecoat in School Lane has been awarded £249,996 from the CRF which is being administered by Arts Council England and was set up to help organisations face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and ensure a sustainable future.

Mary Cloake, CEO at Bluecoat, home to a diverse programme of exhibitions and events, as well as artists and creative organisations, said:

“We are delighted to receive funding through the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

“This is an extremely challenging time for the cultural sector, and this grant will enable us to continue delivering outstanding work and support our creative community, while welcoming visitors in a safe environment. We are very grateful for the continued support of Arts Council England.”

Storyhouse theatre, cinema, library, and community hub has been given £730,252, which CEO, Andrew Bentley, said was a ‘lifeline’, adding it was heartening to know that it was felt an investment worth making.

Thanking the Cultural Recovery Fund and Arts Council England, he said: “We’ve worked so hard since lockdown and have been open for business since day one. That’s not been an easy path to take when so many are closed; we feel fortunate to have been able to open our doors. We look forward to working even harder from this point and repaying the investment that has been made in us today.

“This is a long way from the end of our struggle, but today gives us a vital platform for recovery. Storyhouse has never been needed more than now; we now work to create an even safer space in which our communities can gather together with joy. Our sleeves are rolled up and we are ready for the next chapter.”

Artistic director, Alex Clifton added:

“Cultural spaces help us define ourselves; if we lose them, we lose a sense of ourselves – it’s Peter Pan losing his shadow. These are not organisations that spring back to life in a day; they take decades to develop. So, this a bright moment amongst many dark ones.”

The Atkinson, which was granted £203,934, said it would enable them to continue with a range of culturally-diverse exhibitions between now and the end of March 2021, albeit streamlined to save costs and ensure visitor safety.

It will also allow them to re-open with a socially-distanced panto over Christmas.

Tanya Wilcock, head of communities at Sefton Council, added:

“The substantial funding awarded to The Atkinson from the Cultural Recovery Fund will ensure local people from across Sefton and the wider Liverpool City Region have access to high quality arts and culture through this challenging time.”

Announcing the funds, culture secretary Oliver Dowden said they were a vital boost to theatres, music venues, museums, and cultural organisations that ‘form the soul of our nation’.

The Atkinson

And he said: “The unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this Government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, concluded: “Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences.”