£15.4m available for Covid-impacted Welsh arts & cultural organisations
Melanie May | 13 January 2022 | News
The Welsh Government is making £15.4m available to support the country’s arts and cultural sector during the ongoing pandemic.
The additional support, which is part of the third round of the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund and includes the previously announced Winter Stability Fund of £5.25 million, will specifically support organisations impacted by the recent alert level 2 measures put in place.
The Arts Council of Wales launched its application process for organisations within the arts sector on 12 January. Grants of up to £100,000 are available, with a deadline for applications of 26 January.
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Other impacted sectors including music venues, heritage sites, event venues and organisers, independent local museums, community and independent libraries, galleries and independent cinemas, which were previously supported via the Welsh Government’s CRF will be contacted by letter next week with details on how they can access funding support.
There will also be support for eligible business and organisations that have not received support via CRF to date. More information will be available on Business Wales.
Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden, said:
“We are fully aware that these impacted sectors continue to face new pressures, which is why we’ve been working with the Arts Council to make this additional funding available as soon as possible.
“The innovation and resilience which has been demonstrated by the people and organisations which make these sectors so vibrant has been remarkable – we want to ensure that the sector continues to play a part in our recovery from the pandemic and in bringing people together once more.
“The culture sector also plays an important part in our economy and this is yet another step in the support that we are offering to businesses. Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve provided over £2.6bn of support to businesses throughout Wales to help them manage their way through difficult circumstances.”
Chairman of the Arts Council of Wales, Phil George, said:
“Through this fund the Arts Council will continue to provide essential support to ensure the viability and survival of cultural organisations across Wales who are facing a period of serious financial challenge.
“Working alongside colleagues in Welsh Government, we are determined to ensure that arts and cultural organisations who play a key role in the wellbeing of communities across Wales will be able to bring solace, delight and vision as we struggle with the pandemic and as we recover and rebuild. The need for this support has obviously become even more urgent as a result of the impact of the Omicron variant.”
To be eligible, businesses will have to self-declare that they have experienced a material impact through reduced turnover between December 2021 and February 2022.
The Welsh Government is also looking to increase the support available to the creative freelance community in the performing arts. More details will be provided next week.
This third round builds on the previous two phases of the Cultural Recovery Fund which have provided £93m and has supported business, organisations and individuals in the key cultural sectors.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.