I will fight to help out the Playhouse

EARLIER this week, the Government announced a Culture Recovery Fund to support the Arts across the country.

Here in Cheltenham, I am delighted that it has been possible to secure a £2.4m slice of it for the town.

This is a really strong result, and represents around five times the average sum each constituency is receiving.

Colchester, in Essex, for example, will get around £500,000. Cheltenham’s success is a powerful sign of the strength of the arts in our town.

The Everyman Theatre will receive £832,000, the brilliant Cheltenham Festivals, which organised such an innovative Literature Festival, will receive £784,000 and the Cheltenham Trust (which runs the Wilson, the Town Hall and other venues) receives £852,000.

This package builds on earlier support measures, including a £160 million emergency response package announced by Arts Council England, and will help these cherished institutions weather the storm.

This funding recognises two things: first, as I have long argued, funding shouldn’t simply be focused on London and big cities like Birmingham and Manchester. Second, culture matters hugely not just to our economy, but also our community cohesion and general wellbeing.

Cheltenham’s success in this funding round has been tinged with regret, as I am also conscious that not all the applications were successful.

I have been in contact with the Playhouse to investigate why their application missed out, and I will be fighting their corner in Parliament.

I’ll declare an interest: it was the Cheltenham Playhouse, home to one of our oldest buildings, which gave me an early introduction to theatre when I was a teenager. I know that their community programme provides opportunities for many groups across the town.

Although it has been able to benefit from furlough and other support, every penny of funding counts.

I’ll do everything in my power to champion their cause.