UK arts sector to receive £1.57 billion support package
The UK arts sector received some positive news from the government on Sunday evening as Boris Johnson announced that the struggling industry will receive a support package of £1.57 billion in order to help prop it up following months of closure as a result of the pandemic.
"They make our country great and are the linchpin of our world-beating and fast-growing creative industries," the prime minister said. "I understand the grave challenges the arts face and we must protect and preserve all we can for future generations, ensuring arts groups and venues across the UK can stay afloat and support their staff while their doors remain closed and curtains remain down."
The package includes a £1.5 billion support pot for cultural organisations in England, consisting of £270 million in loans and £880 million in grants; £100 million of targeted support for England’s national cultural institutions and English Heritage; £120 million of capital investment to restart construction on cultural infrastructure and for heritage construction projects in England paused because of the pandemic; and extra money for devolved administrations, with £97 million for Scotland, £59 million for Wales and £33 million for Northern Ireland.
The news has been received well by figures in the industry, many of which were expecting a less generous package.
"Let’s drill down into the detail but my first reaction is absolute relief and gratitude," playwright James Graham told The Guardian. "I think it is a surprisingly ambitious package, especially when you compare it to some of our European neighbours."
Meanwhile, Arts Council chairman Sir Nicholas Serota told BBC News the funding was "a very good result".
"Now it's up to the arts organisations and the Arts Council to make best use of this money and bring the arts back into communities across the county. This announcement gives us the tools to help build a recovery."
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