Cultural bailout: Which London arts venues will get a share of the £275m rescue fund?
The government this morning announced a fresh tranche of funding for England’s troubled cultural sector.
Over 1,300 arts venues and organisations will share an emergency £257m fund to help get them back on their feet.
Mark Dayvd, chief executive of the Music Venue Trust, welcomed the cash injection, which he said would help the sector “enormously”.
So which venues in the capital are set to receive the bailout?
- Wigmore Hall
The iconic Marylebone centre will receive £1m to sustain the future of its programme of chamber music and song.
- Royal Academy of Dance
The Royal Academy of Dance, which is one of the world’s most influential dance education organisations, will receive £606,366 to stabilise and recommence its activities.
- Finborough Theatre
The Finborough, located above a pub in Earl’s Court, will be given £59,574 to secure its future. The tiny theatre has launched the careers of international stars like Rachel Weisz and James Graham, the writer behind TV hits Brexit: Uncivil War and Quiz.
- London Symphony Orchestra
The LSO, which has established a reputation as one of the top orchestras in the world, will receive £846,000 to help it begin a phased return to full-scale performance.
- Hackney Empire
The iconic east London theatre has been granted £585,064 to help support a new model of responsive programming and address increased costs caused by the pandemic.
- The Young Vic
The south London theatre will receive £961,455 to help it partially open between October and March, remotely operating its Directors Programme and its outreach activities with local communities.
- Theatre Peckham
The theatre company, which helped bring Star Wars actor John Boyega to fame, will receive £150,000 to help deliver Covid-secure classes for young talent and provide support for freelance artists.
- The Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond
The Georgian Theatre Royal, which is Britain’s oldest working theatre still in its original form, will receive £52,960 to help provide tours of the building and restart its youth theatre virtually.
- Theatre Royal Stratford East
This east London venue has been granted £495,625 to help fund digital offerings and live work that supports local young people, schools and community groups.
- Deafinitely Theatre
Deafinitely Theatre is London’s only fully accessible arts provision for deaf young people. It will receive £95,830 to fund a cultural programme of events, including 20 events by March 2021 for emerging deaf theatre makers, a new online play and the commission of 20 deaf freelance artists to devise new British Sign Language performances.
- Backyard Comedy Club, Tower Hamlets
A £200,000 grant will allow the comedy club to restart events featuring grassroots showcases, touring bands and some of the best comics on the circuit.