Culture Recovery Fund lifeline

Rosehill Theatre has received a grant of £176,807 from the Government's £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The funding is much-needed by the Grade II listed theatre in Moresby, near Whitehaven. As well as helping it to survive the next few months, it will also allow the team to progress their plans to reopen. These include a mixture of live, socially distanced performances in the theatre, digital work and also outdoor performances.

More than £300 million has been awarded to over 2,700 recipients across the country in the latest round of support, announced today, which will help organisations look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery.

After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, it will offer a helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “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.”

Looking forward to reopening

Deanne Shallcross, Rosehill’s executive director, said: “This latest funding, which follows £207,000 from the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund last autumn and £117,500 from the Emergency Response Fund last summer, is fantastic news and will certainly help us make progress with our plans to reopen, in line with the Government’s roadmap.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming people back for socially distanced performances, which we hope to start in the late spring, as well as presenting live-streamed, recorded and drive-in events, both at Rosehill and on the road.

“We’re also keen to open our doors to more community groups and offer a welcoming space for meetings.

"We love it when there’s a buzz around the building and we’ve missed that so much over the past year.

“Our brief return in December, with socially distanced film screenings and live performances of A Christmas Carol by Oddsocks, reminded us how great it feels when we’re lifting people’s spirits and we missed that all the more when we had to go back into lockdown immediately afterwards – although of course we understood why it was necessary.

“We’ve worked hard behind the scenes and implemented lots of measures to help keep everyone safe. We can’t wait to reopen again.”

Deanne added: “These remain challenging times for everyone in the creative industry, and indeed others. We know there will have been difficult decisions to take when sharing out this funding and many will have been disappointed. Everyone at Rosehill is grateful for this further support from the Arts Council through the Government's Culture Recovery Fund.”

More than £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

Investing in cultural sector

Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of 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 reopen 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 latest funding 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 picture changed. It has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.

From the archive

£100,000 grant from Garfield Weston Foundation's Weston Culture Fund

Government awards £207,000 to Rosehill