Arts ‘so vital’ in nation’s recovery

THE UK Government’s £1.57bn support package for the arts is an acknowledgement that they have an “important” role to play in the nation’s recovery, a theatre boss has said.

Kwame Kwei-Armah, right, the artistic director of the Young Vic, told Times Radio that he and his colleagues are “relieved”.

The move has also been welcomed by the Tate, the Science Museum Group, the National Gallery and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Kwei-Armah said: “When we heard last night, we slept for the first time since March.

“It is a real vindication that we have been listened to and that the Government understand we were dying on our knees and also that we are an important part of our country’s recovery.

“So we are pleased for this intervention that will hopefully get us from here to April.”

On announcing the package, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “From iconic theatre and musicals, mesmerising exhibitions at our world-class galleries to gigs performed in local basement venues, the UK’s cultural industry is the beating heart of this country.

“This money will help safeguard the sector for future generations, ensuring arts groups and venues across the UK can stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed and curtains remain down.”

The Government added that the money “represents the biggest ever one-off investment in UK culture” and will help struggling institutions “stay afloat while their doors are closed”.

In addition to helping the arts sector, funding will also be provided to restart construction work at cultural and heritage sites paused as a result of the pandemic, the Government said.

Decisions on awards will be made working alongside expert independent figures from the sector.

The £1.15bn support pot for cultural organisations in England will be made up of £270m of repayable finance and £880 million of grants.

The funding also includes money for the devolved administrations in Wales (£59m), Northern Ireland (£33m) and Scotland (£97m), the UK Government said.

The funding was well-received by composer Lord Lloyd-Webber, who said the news is “truly welcome at a time when so many theatres, orchestras, entertainment venues and other arts organisations face such a bleak future”.

ITV chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette said the move “is a very welcome first step in tackling the crisis arts and culture is facing”.

“The blend of grants and loans will help many critical institutions keep going until they can open again,” he said.

“Then we’ll need to sort the long term.”