Over the weekend, there were renewed calls from members of the British arts industry for support from the government. These calls were answered late Sunday evening when Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced a £1.57 Billion emergency package whilst declaring that the government backs the arts industry.
https://twitter.com/OliverDowden/status/1279877147767824384
According to Dowden, this package was weeks in the making and is a world-leading fund for the arts. There will be £880 million worth of grants available through to April 2021, these will be shared out between theatre, heritage sites, museums, music venues, galleries, and more. These grants will be supplemented by £270m-worth of loans.
English cultural institutions and the Heritage Trust will have £100m-worth of support and £120m to help the construction of cultural sites. There will also be £188m for Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Further details about the packages are expected to be released in the coming weeks, with the government finalising guidance on how performances may return.
The arts industry has been hit incredibly hard by the coronavirus outbreak and this new package offers hope for the future of Britain’s arts industry.
Orla McAndrew
Image via Kilyan Sockalingum on Unsplash.