NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News
A number of historic London venues and establishments outside of the capital are beneficiaries of the latest round of funding from the government.
The Royal Albert Hall, Alexandra Palace, the Southbank Centre, the English National Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and other venues have been awarded a share of £165million in low-interest repayable finance today (December 11) for the penultimate round of the coronavirus Culture Recovery Fund (CRF).
IQ reports that the Royal Albert Hall received a total of £20.74million from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England (ACE). Alexandra Palace has been given £2,967,600 to enable its 10,400-capacity Great Hall to “continue with a diverse programme of live, Covid-secure events this winter”.
Outside of London, new Manchester arts venue the Factory received £21m towards its completion. Other recipients include the Turner Contemporary in Margate, which has been awarded £264,000 to complete an upgrade of its visitor facilities and digital infrastructure, as well as improving the environmental sustainability of the site.
Meanwhile, Nottingham’s Broadway will receive £144,000 “to refurbish vital visitor spaces whilst reducing the centre’s energy usage to create a more environmentally sustainable future to the regional film hub,” the government website states. “The project was due to be completed by September 2020, and this funding will ensure the plans can be completed quickly and safely to reopen and welcome back audiences.”
To date, £1billion has been invested. The latest round of grants and loans precede the government’s plans to allocate a final £400million of its £1.57billion total Culture Recovery Fund. Further details of the final round, comprising £300m in grants and £100m loans to help companies “transition back to usual operating mode from April 2021”, will be announced shortly.
According to DCMS and UK culture minister, Oliver Dowden, some funding was kept from previous rounds in order to help officials assess the “changing public health picture”. This funding will be made available to organisations at “imminent risk of collapse before the end of this financial year” in April.
Dowden said in a statement: “This government promised it would be here for culture, and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word. “The £1 billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications.
“Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture, so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.”
Read the full CRF government announcement here.
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