£13m awarded to culture and heritage sites across region
SEVERAL of Manchester’s leading cultural institutions are set to receive a slice of a £400m government funding scheme.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has announced that more than 2,700 culture and heritage organisations will receive grants and loans.
It’s hoped that the lifeline funding will help the arts industry to recover and reopen after the ‘biggest crisis they’ve ever faced’.
More than 70 per cent of the funds have been awarded to businesses outside of London, with venues including the National Football Museum, The Frog & Bucket and Manchester Pride among those in the north west to be awarded grants.
119 organisations in Greater Manchester will benefit from the new scheme.
£13,432,413 has been awarded to the region, providing relief to nightlife venues, theatres, intimate gig spaces, museums and galleries.
It brings the total Culture Recovery Fund to more than £1.2bn.
The Lowry Centre Trust will receive a massive £7.3m as a loan, which will help the Salford arts centre to continue its community outreach programming.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, small independent venues like the Rose and Monkey, Matt and Phreds and the Peer Hat will all receive tens of thousands, as will the Night & Day Cafe and nightlife favourite La Discotheque.
The big cultural names to receive grants include The National Football Museum, The Whitworth, and the People’s History Museum.
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.”
The funding has been backed by Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Dame Julie Walters, and Hugh Bonneville, many of whom are patrons or chairs of organisations to be awarded grants.
Nearly all of the original £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund has now been allocated, with over £1.2 billion in grants and repayable loans.