Torbay’s MP Kevin Foster has welcomed today’s (Friday 19th November 2021) announcement Torquay’s Museum and Central Cinema are two of the hundreds of arts, heritage and cultural organisations across England who will receive a share of £107 million from the additional £300 million announced by the Chancellor at March’s budget for the Culture Recovery Fund. This brings the total cash support package made available for culture during the pandemic to close to £2 billion.
The Culture Recovery Fund has already got £1.2 billion out the door to around 5,000 organisations and sites across the country and this latest round of funding is giving a lifeline to regional theatres, local museums, independent cinemas and many more throughout the winter.
From this round of funding, over £100 million will be awarded in continuity support grants to over 870 previous Culture Recovery Fund recipients administered by Arts Council England, British Film Institute, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England. Helping organisations survive and allowing them to resume programmes and events, the funding will mean people can have access to and enjoy everything they have to offer.
Funding is also keeping projectors rolling in local cinemas, including in our bay, this winter with 62 cinemas awarded over £6 million administered by the British Film Institute. Torquay’s historic Central Cinema is receiving £34,486.36 as part of this.
The latest awards will continue to safeguard our most precious heritage and regional museums, including Torquay Museum which will receive £60,000 of support. A grant of £566,000 will give Exeter Cathedral the necessary financial support so they can continue to engage the local community through a packed calendar of activities such as historic costume character tours, festive family nights and Christmas carols in the Cathedral nave.
Providing access to emergency funding throughout the winter period, the Emergency Resource Support programme will be reopened. This will give more applicants at imminent risk of financial failure an opportunity to bid for support, protecting even more organisations so that they can continue to create jobs and contribute to the economy. The application window will open shortly, and Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the British Film Institute will be publishing the details on their websites soon.
Torbay’s MP Kevin Foster said: “This is great news and an early Christmas Present for two important local cultural facilities. Torquay Museum has for generations helped educate and inspire our next generation, whilst the festive season would not be the same without a chance to see the latest films in the heart of Torquay, with this funding ensuring the historic Central Cinema can enjoy a final winter season before it is replaced by a multi-million pound new multiplex in Union Street.”
