IT’S a year since the launch of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund – and arts organisations across the South West have been celebrating the investment that has helped them to survive through the pandemic.
Almost £90million has been awarded in grants to more than 400 theatres, galleries, festivals, venues, and grassroots arts organisations in the region, enabling them to keep going through lockdowns, protect jobs and create opportunities for freelance workers.
The final £300 million of funding nationally was recently announced, and will be dedicated to helping organisations prepare for full reopening.
Among the places and groups helped by the Cultural Recovery Fund is Cornwall’s Miracle Theatre, which has been entertaining communities of all shapes and sizes since 1979. After being forced to cancel all productions in 2020, the theatre’s annual earned income was completely lost. Culture Recovery Funding has enabled Miracle Theatre to reopen, develop a new production and resume performances for open air, limited capacity audiences.
Miracle’s managing director Annie Ukleja said: “Culture Recovery Fund grants have been used to safeguard and secure our existence over the winter, and the most recently to help Miracle Theatre to get back to business. The grant has enabled the company to play to its strengths and experience of outdoor theatre. Even while the pandemic continues to cause disruption and with earned income from ticket sales hugely impacted by reduced capacity audiences, these grants have been vital. With this support in place, and the sun shining (so far), the company has been able to reach happy audiences by performing safely to “full houses” – albeit at 50% capacity – already reaching rural communities right across the county: from Falmouth to Fowey to Sennen and to Calstock!”
Also benefitting from cash support is The Box - Plymouth’s new museum and art gallery. Over the summer, The Box is presenting its flagship opening exhibition, Mayflower 400: Legend And Legacy (until 2 January) - the national commemorative exhibition for the Mayflower 400 commemoration - and Making It (until 5 September), featuring the work of contemporary international artists such as Kehinde Wiley, and a new public art work by Antony Gormley.
Meanwhile Cultural Recovery Funding will also help secure the future of the beloved Glastonbury Festival. This summer, Glastonbury is offering a new campsite experience, Worthy Pastures (23 July-31 August), and the Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza concert with Van Morrison on 4 September.
Phil Gibby, Area Director, Arts Council England, South West, said: “We are so thankful to the Government for this essential investment into the arts and culture sector in the face of this public health crisis. The factors that brought the world to this milestone could not have been predicted, but what we do know is that without this extraordinary financial backing, the creative landscape would look very different today.
“Many organisations across the south west have started to reopen their doors and welcome audiences once again, and it’s been a real pleasure to start visiting them in person. It has been uplifting to hear that despite the mammoth difficulties the sector has faced over the past 16 months, it is still buzzing with energy and enthusiasm, with reams of world-class cultural events and creative activities on the horizon.
“Thanks to the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and the awe-inspiring dedication and resilience our creative practitioners and cultural organisations have shown, we will all once again experience those life-affirming moments that the arts have the power to bring, which will be so intrinsic to our national recovery.”