News / culture
£1.57bn given to the UK’s arts venues
The Government has provided £1.57bn in grants and loans to the UK’s arts venues.
The future of the country’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues are to be protected.
The announcement follows weeks of pressure from the sector, including the #LetTheMusicPlay, which venues including the Fleece, Thekla, Louisiana and Exchange partook in.
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£1.15bn will go towards organisations in England, with £880m of grants and £270m of loans. Another £100m will be set aside for national cultural institutions and the English Heritage Trust.
“From iconic theatre and musicals, mesmerising exhibitions at our world-class galleries to gigs performed in local basement venues, the UK’s cultural industry is the beating heart of this country,” said prime minister Boris Johnson.
“This money will help safeguard the sector for future generations, ensuring arts groups and venues across the UK can stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed and curtains remain down.”
The Fleece weer among the Bristol institutions to call on the Government for support. Photo: The Fleece
Response to the government support has been mixed, with many welcoming the monetary support but has left some wondering if it is too little, too late.
“We are delighted by the scale and range of last night’s announcement,” said Bristol Old Vic’s artistic director, Tom Morris. “Artists, economists, producers and audience members have powerfully argued that the national theatre infrastructure would be impossible to rebuild if we were to let it collapse. Government has heard that call and invested.”
Morris added that it was “encouraging” that some in Government’s thinking ahead towards the next five years of cultural investment, given the “enormous investment” the arts can make to social, educational, creative and economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The artistic director also called for the money to read freelance artist and organisations as quickly as possible, to minimise damage caused.
“It can’t save every organisation or support every artist, but we unreservedly welcome and applaud it,” Morris added.
“In Bristol, we fervently hope these funds will allow us renew our work with our communities in the immediate term, and to rebuild our programmes through experimental performances until we can play safely to full houses again.”
Tomo Morris made a positive statement in support of the announcement. Photo: Geraint Lewis
Emma Harvey, CEO of Trinity Community Arts, also welcomed the news, tweeting that there was now “hope” for support of grassroots venues and praising the Music Venue Trust for their work in pressuring the Government to act.
However, other venues critiqued the announcement, with That Art Gallery retweeting a comment from Dr Paul Kleinman: “The £1.5bn emergency arts funding is great and very welcome news, but please stop saying it’s ‘world-leading’ or ‘world-beating’. It isn’t. The French have ‘beaten’ us by committing £7bn.”
Main photo of RWA: Alice Hendy
Read more: Bristol Improv Theatre: How one venue is coping during lockdown
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