Bedford Borough Council has been awarded £163,943 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future.
Bedford Borough Council is one of 588 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support – with £76 million of investment announced.
This follows £257 million awarded to 1,385 organisations, also from the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.
Councillor Doug McMurdo, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said: “We welcome the money we have been allocated by the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport. Up and down the country, many sectors are struggling financially and arts and culture is no exception.
“The funding we receive will be used to support our COVID-19 recovery plan for Bedford Corn Exchange and The Higgins Bedford, which have both seen a significant loss of income due to coronavirus. Arts and culture is an important part of the rich heritage of Bedford Borough and we are happy that this has been recognised by the government.
“For Bedford Corn Exchange, this funding will help Bedford Corn exchange to weather the pressures of coronavirus and come back even stronger, returning when it is possible to do so with a cultural programme of music, comedy, theatre and family entertainment
“For The Higgins Bedford, the funding will ensure the museum is able to keep operating and will remain open to the public, ensuring the safety of both visitors and staff.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This is more vital funding to protect cultural gems across the country, save jobs and prepare the arts to bounce back.
“Through Arts Council England we are delivering the biggest ever investment in the arts in record time. Hundreds of millions of pounds are already making their way to thousands of organisations.
“These awards build on our commitment to be here for culture in every part of the country.”
Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said: “Culture is an essential part of life across the country, helping to support people’s wellbeing through creativity and self-expression, bringing communities together, and fuelling our world class creative industries.
“This latest set of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund builds on those announced recently and will help hundreds of organisations to survive the next few months, ensuring that the cultural sector can bounce back after the crisis.
“We will continue doing everything we can to support artists and cultural and creative organisations, with further funding to be announced in the coming weeks.”
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