Culture Recovery Fund grants £30.6m to 165 North West arts and culture organisations

Some 165 venues across the North West are to get a slice of £30.6m awarded to arts and culture organisations across the region.

Across the UK, 1,385 organisations and venues are to receive funding under the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

A total of £257m was awarded today, with the aim to help organisations create work and performances, and plan for reopening.

Arts Council England, which will administer the funding, announced venues including Deaf Institute and National Football Museum in Manchester and Parr Street Studios, Cavern Club and FACT in Liverpool.

Mission Mars, the operator of Albert Schloss and Rudy’s Pizza, secured £1m - the largest amount of money awarded to an organisation in the North West today.

Today’s recipients are those that applied for grants of under £1m in the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, with applicants for grants of over £1m notified of their outcomes “shortly”, Arts Council England said.

Sarah Maxfield, area director north, Arts Council England, said: “The pandemic has had a massive impact on the whole range of organisations working in the North’s cultural sector - theatres, music venues, festivals, museums and the companies who support them with technical sound, light and staging services.

“The cultural sector makes a huge contribution to The North’s economy, quality of life and communities.

“Today we are announcing much needed investment and support from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund to a group of organisations across the North - with more announcements in the coming weeks - providing an essential lifeline so the cultural sector can survive and come back strongly in the future.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the funding is a “vital boost” for organisations “that form the soul of our nation”.

“It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery,” he said.

He added: “This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”