Culture Recovery Fund opens the door to arts this spring
10th April 2021
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Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (BDBF) has received vital support from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund today (Friday 2 April 2021).
The registered arts charity has received two grants to help the organisation recover and reopen over the next few months. Brighton Festival will benefit from £296,500 to ensure it can bring events back to audiences online, outdoors and safely back on stage with the re-opening of Brighton Dome Concert Hall this May.
The region’s largest music education service which teaches thousands of school children and young people, receives £174,000
for Brighton & Hove Music & Arts and East Sussex Music teachers to resume tuition in person with students.
Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival commented:
“We’re delighted to receive this invaluable support in the week we announced that Brighton Festival will return safely back to the city in May. Since last year’s cancellation and with the continued closure of Brighton Dome, it’s been hard to imagine that we’d be able to look forward to this moment. This funding will also allow us to support our music services as students return to lessons and to present a Festival that works with local artists, community organisations and a range of creative professionals who are all committed to and excited about coming back.
We are enormously proud to be in a city that believes in the value of the arts, both economically and socially, and to have such loyal audiences who we know want the arts to thrive and survive beyond the pandemic.”
These awards are amongst more than £300 million allocated by Arts Council England to 2,300 cultural organisations announced by the Culture Secretary today.
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England said:
“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work. We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”
The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health advice changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, added:
“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced. Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”
Brighton Festival 2021 takes place from 1 May to 31 May and features 94 events, performances and installations, both as specially commissioned online projects, as livestreams and across multiple outdoor and indoor locations extending from Brighton to Worthing. A third of the events will be free to attend.