Culture Recovery Fund
{{Short description|Emergency fund in Britain in response to the Covid-19 pandemic}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
The Culture Recovery Fund is a grants programme issued by the UK Government as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund aims to financially support cultural organisations in England (such as theatres, museums, and music venues) which had become financially unviable as a result of national and local restrictions. It is administered by Arts Council England.{{cite web |url=https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/culture-recovery-fund-grants#section-1 |title=Culture Recovery Fund: Grants |publisher=Arts Council England |accessdate=18 October 2020}}
Foundation and management
The fund was initially announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak in July 2020 as a "one-off investment in UK culture".{{cite news |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/28542-uk-government-arts-support-package-coronavirus |title=UK Government Reveals £1.57 Billion Arts Support Package |work=The Quietus |date=6 July 2020}} Sunak announced that the fund would be valued at £1.57 billion. Damon Buffini was announced as the chair of the Culture Recovery Board, the body tasked with managing the fund.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dowden-jump-start-for-uks-leading-creative-industries|title=Dowden: 'Jump-start' for UK's leading creative industries|website=GOV.UK}}
=Culture Recovery Board=
The culture recovery fund is administered by the Culture Recovery Board, which comprises 11 members appointed by the DCMS.{{cite web |url=https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/culture-recovery-fund-grants#section-3 |title=FAQs: About the programme. Who sits on the Culture Recovery Board? |accessdate=20 October 2020 |publisher=Arts Council England}} They are:
- Sir Damon Buffini (chair)
- Lord Mendoza CBE (Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal)
- Sir Nicholas Serota CH (Chair of Arts Council England)
- Sir Laurie Magnus CBE (Chair of Historic England)
- René Olivieri (Chair of NLHF)
- Jay Hunt (Governor of the BFI, board member)
- Emma Squire (Director for Arts, Heritage and Tourism at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
- Claire Whitaker OBE (independent board member)
- Baroness Fall (independent board member)
- Hemant Patel MBE (independent board member)
- Samir Shah CBE c(independent board member)
Grants issued
The first 135 venues to receive money from the fund were announced on 22 August 2020. This first phase included only grassroots music venues such as Birmingham's Sunflower Lounge, Brighton's Green Door Store and Manchester's Gorilla.{{cite news |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/government-announce-first-135-music-venues-to-receive-emergency-grants-2734852 |title=Government announce first 135 music venues to receive emergency grants |work=NME |date=22 August 2020}}
A large group of beneficiaries of the grants was announced on 12 October 2020. This phase totalled £257 million divided between 1,385 venues.{{cite news |url=https://www.rhinegold.co.uk/classical_music/arts-organisations-receive-257-million-in-grants-from-culture-recovery-fund/ |title=Arts organisations receive £257 million in grants from Culture Recovery Fund |author1=Lucy Thraves |date=12 October 2020 |publisher=Classical Music}} A further announcement was made on 17 October 2020 of an additional £76 million between a further 588 organisations.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/588-more-arts-organisations-saved-by-76-million-in-latest-culture-recovery-fund-grants |title=588 more arts organisations saved by £76 million in latest Culture Recovery Fund grants |date=17 October 2020 |publisher=Gov.uk |accessdate=18 October 2020}} The beneficiaries of this phase of the grants includes the Military Wives Choir, Somerset House, and the Puppet Theatre Barge.{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/military-wives-choir-among-recipients-of-157-billion-cultural-fund-a4571935.html |title=Latest round of £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund beneficiaries include Military Wives Choir |work=Evening Standard |date=17 October 2020 |author1=Lizzie Edmonds}}
The second round of large grants was issued on 2 April 2021. It distributed £262 million to 2,272 venues.{{cite web |url=https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/ps262m-awarded-second-round-culture-recovery-fund |title=£262m awarded for second round of Culture Recovery Fund |work=Arts Professional |date=1 April 2021 |accessdate=6 April 2021}} The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) also announced it was funding £82 million of loans to cultural landmarks and institutions.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/400-million-to-help-more-than-2700-arts-culture-heritage-organisations-and-independent-cinemas-survive-and-thrive |title=£400 million to help more than 2,700 arts, culture, heritage organisations and independent cinemas survive and thrive |date=2 April 2021 |publisher=Gov.uk |accessdate=6 April 2021}}
Another phase occurred in October 2021, with 142 sites receiving a share of a £35 million injection into the fund.[https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/heritage-and-craft-workers-across-england-given-a-helping-hand/ "Heritage and Craft Workers Across England Given a Helping Hand"] – Historic England, 22 October 2021
References
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{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories|state=collapsed}}
Category:COVID-19 pandemic in England