Liverpool Philharmonic to receive £755,917 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

Liverpool Philharmonic has received a grant of £755,917 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Liverpool Philharmonic in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

Liverpool Philharmonic will use this money to continue to present concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and online, deliver our award-winning In Harmony and Music and Mental Health programmes, and our ongoing work with young people in our Youth Company. Concerts restart with a series of 6 streamed Royal Liverpool Philharmonic On Demand performances from 6 April and 9 concerts with audiences from 20 May.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Michael Eakin, Chief Executive said:

“We are very grateful for this second grant from the Culture Recovery Fund. Through the pandemic we have been focused on ensuring Royal Liverpool Philharmonic both remains financially sustainable, and also delivers as much work to our audiences, participants and communities as we can in these circumstances. Throughout we have ensured a significant continuing learning programme, which includes our In Harmony and music and mental health programmes. In the Autumn we presented one of the busiest programmes of concerts for live audiences in the country, as well as several online streamed performances. This grant will allow us to build on this work with continuing learning programmes and online activity, and to welcome audiences back to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in May. And it will allow us to plan with confidence for the rest of the year.’’

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said:

“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.

We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.