The local MP for Hastings and Rye, Sally-Ann Hart, has welcomed the announcement of over £1 million to local venues in Hastings that hold live music, entertainment and art events. This funding has come from the Cultural Recovery Fund with five venues in Hastings receiving a share of the £257 million from central Government.
On hearing this announcement, Sally-Ann said “This is fantastic news! I have been fighting hard for our arts and cultural sector in all my engagements with Ministers during this difficult period for this industry. I am delighted that Ministers have listened and now released funding for some of the venues in Hastings and Rye that provide spaces for live music, entertainment and art. This money will hopefully go a long way to help these businesses and support those that are reliant on them. I have said before that when this awful pandemic is over we are going to want to return to our pubs, clubs and entertainment spaces to lift our spirits once more, so supporting them now so they are there for us in the future is vital. This is another good day for local businesses in Hastings and Rye.”
More than 1,300 arts and cultural organisations have received a share of £257 million as part of a vital financial boost from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced yesterday.
The investment will save 1,385 theatres, galleries, performance groups, arts organisations, museums and local venues facing the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and ensure they have a sustainable future. It is the biggest tranche of funding distributed to date from the Culture Recovery Fund.
This funding will help allow performances to restart, venues to plan for reopening and to protect jobs and create opportunities for freelancers.
Those organisations who are set to receive funding found out yesterday from distributor Arts Council England (ACE) what they will receive. The recipients are those that applied for grants of under £1 million in the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund.
Commenting on the release of this fund the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said, “This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery. These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country - from the Beamish museum in County Durham to the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Bristol Old Vic.
“This 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.” Finally, speaking yesterday, Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said, “Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This is a difficult time for us all, but this first round of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will help sustain hundreds of cultural spaces and organisations that are loved and admired by local communities and international audiences. Further funding will be announced later in the month and we are working hard to support creative organisations and individuals during these challenging times.”