We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £80,850 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund! This funding will provide much-needed support for the months of April, May and June as we prepare to open our doors and welcome our audiences back to the theatre!
More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including The Cresset in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.
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 Cresset is one of more than 2,700 recipients who are receiving urgently needed support from this latest round of awards.
We have been staging live events in Peterborough for over 40 years, and have played host to hundreds of acts. Despite the challenges faced last year because of the pandemic – with over 100 performances having to be rescheduled since March 2020 – we were still able to stage events which had been specially adapted to conform to social distancing guidelines, including the Christmas Pantomime, thanks to the support provided by the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund.
Our Head of Commercial Activities at The Cresset Penny Hansen said:
“This funding is going to make a huge difference to our recovery, with the immediate impact of allowing us to return staff to work so we can begin planning to welcome audiences back to live events. After such a difficult year we’re delighted to be able to start looking to the future with confidence and this crucial support will help us to do that, enabling us to stage some socially distanced events as well as support local creative people and projects.”
The second round of awards made today will help us and many other 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 as we transition back to normality in the upcoming months – ensuring we can continue to be #HereForCulture!
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.
