Timely Arts Council funding

THE recipients of the portion of the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund being distributed by the Arts Council of Wales have been announced.

Among the recipients are Chapter Arts Centre, in Canton, Cardiff, which receives £558,993.

It’s estimated the funding could help to protect at least 1,800 jobs across the arts in Wales.

The funds distributed by the Arts Council of Wales have two elements – capital, to allow organisations to make changes to venues to better cope with the need for social distancing (£2m), and revenue, to support organisations facing urgent financial difficulties and to protect as many jobs in the culture sector as possible (£25.5m). Organisations could apply for both elements of the fund. The fund provides support to cover the period between October 2020 until March 2021.

Some 160 applications were received into the revenue fund with a total value of £19,040,043. The lowest award was £1,700 and the highest £3,406,352. The average award was £119,019 and the success rate of applications to the revenue fund was 95%, with the total value of grants to be distributed being £18,091,013.

The total number of applications to the capital fund was 61, with the total value of applications being £2,164,332. The lowest award was £1,995 and the highest £493,828. The average award was £34,234 and the success rate of applications to the capital fund was 92%, with the total value of grants to be distributed being £1,917,126.

The £27.5m earmarked for distribution by the Arts Council of Wales forms part of the £53m Cultural Recovery Fund announced on July 30 by the Welsh Government.