We are pleased to share that we are among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the second round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund and have received a grant of £120,000 to help the organisation recover and reopen.
More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country in the latest round of support announced today by the Culture Secretary.
This grant will assist us with restarting its activity in accordance with the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. The programme will begin later this month with the previously announced activities for young people and families in the Learning Centre. From the end of May we are planning to return with live events presented both at the Corn Exchange and across the town with a festival of outdoor performances and activities which will run throughout the summer. Full details will be shared in May.
Following its closure last March, we swiftly developed a programme of digital activity to keep people entertained and connected during lockdown. We reopened in September with a range of classes and workshops, some online and some in person, along with a programme of films, broadcast screenings and live performances, all delivered in a Covid-secure manner. In December, we also presented its socially distanced pantomime, Aladdin, and a reimagined Lantern Trail along the banks of the canal. Whilst social distancing requirements significantly reduced the capacity of these events, the Corn Exchange has always felt it was vital to begin performances and activities in order to create joyful artistic experiences for its community.
Katy Griffiths, Director of Corn Exchange Newbury, says ‘We are very pleased to receive this news and this funding will support some of our activities over the coming months. The theatre industry still faces a critical time while social distancing requirements restrict us from bringing full audiences together and the ongoing support we have received from our local community has been vital in helping us through this period. As we begin to reopen we are looking forward to welcoming audiences back and being able to share creative experiences again.’
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 today will help organisations to 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 in the months ahead.
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said ‘Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced. Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.’
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.
