Culture Recovery Fund applications now open

Applications for the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage are now open. Grants of between £10,000 and £3 million will be distributed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), to support heritage organisations across England through the on-going impact of COVID-19. The funding is part of the government’s wider £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Organisations are urged to apply before the Tuesday 26 January deadline and decisions on awards will follow in March.

Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of Historic England, said: “COVID-19 has placed an unprecedented strain on so many heritage organisations that care for our cherished historic places. Despite many challenges and setbacks, they have shown remarkable resilience, working hard to care for their sites and contents whilst continuing to engage their supporters and local communities. 

The last year has shown more than ever the value of heritage organisations and businesses. England’s heritage is worth £31 billion to the economy, supports nearly half a million jobs and engages even more volunteers. It has a central role to play as the country moves towards a sustainable recovery, providing wide-ranging social benefits and encouraging creativity, regeneration and growth.

This £36 million recovery package from the government, which we will deliver in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, offers vital support to help heritage organisations sustain themselves during the challenging months ahead. I urge them to apply as soon as possible.”

Cultural organisations in Dorset were previously awarded £3.66 million of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund following the first round of applications. 

Social enterprise BH Live, one of the region’s leading leisure and event operators, was awarded £2,499,531 to help secure the future of live events and protect the provision of theatre, live performance and cultural events for all in communities across Dorset and the south coast, in popular event spaces including the Bournemouth Pavilion and the arena at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC).

A BH Live representative at the time said: “We will be able to retain some of our talented team and bring forward essential investment in service and event technology which is now needed more than ever. It will enable us to meet ongoing costs while our venues are in hibernation and assist us in getting our venues ready and COVID-secure – providing essential reassurance for our customers and colleagues.”

Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, was awarded £987,964 which provided a lifeline for Lighthouse’s COVID-19 recovery efforts. The Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum was also awarded £225,000 of the Culture Recovery Fund to make improvements to support the sustainability of the museum’s future. 

Following the first round of funding, Lorna Carver, Dorset LEP Director, said: “This investment from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund is excellent news for Dorset, providing crucial cultural organisations with a much-needed lifeline.  We continue to strive to ensure Dorset is a place of creative and cultural excellence, which this investment will undoubtedly support.”

Detailed guidance on how to apply is available here.