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The West of England Mayor has welcomed Government funding of £10m to support arts and heritage organisations across the region.

The announcement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Arts Council England means that 45 cultural organisations in the West of England will receive a £9.7 million share of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. This major investment will help much-loved arts organisations face the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure they have a sustainable future.  

Organisations that will receive funding in the region will include Bristol Old Vic, the Theatre Royal Bath, and the home of Concorde - South Gloucestershire’s Aerospace Bristol museum. Recipients also include music and comedy venues such as Bath’s Komedia, and The Fleece, The Exchange and Trinity in Bristol, as well as popular heritage attractions like the Jane Austen Centre, and the SS Great Britain.  

Regional Mayor Tim Bowles said: “Arts, culture and heritage play a huge role in the life and the economy of the West of England; employing over 9,000 people in the region and contributing over £3bn to our economy.

“Many organisations have been able to access grants and business rate relief during the crisis but I’ve been calling on Government to give more support to this vitally important sector that still faces considerable uncertainty.

“This funding will be a lifeline to many theatres, music venues and museums in the region and will help to create a platform from which we can begin to re-build so that our vibrant creative and cultural sector can thrive.”

On Friday, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) committed an additional £0.5m for the cultural and creative industries, through the region’s Economic Recovery Taskforce, in addition to WECA’s current activities including the Creative Scale-Up programme.

The West of England applicants successful for round one of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund are: 

Organisation Name

£ Award offered

Discipline

acta community theatre ltd

£50,000

Theatre

Aerofleece Limited

£249,297

Music

Aerospace Bristol

£514,000

Museums

Arcadia Spectacular Ltd

£237,826

Combined arts

Artspace Lifespace

£94,000

Combined arts

Bath Festivals

£100,000

Combined arts

Bath International Comedy Festival

£75,000

Theatre

Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Royal Trust Ltd

£610,466

Theatre

Crack Industries Ltd

£125,320

Music

Crosstown Concerts Ltd

£212,950

Music

Enlightened Lighting Ltd

£247,106

Not discipline specific

Exchange Venue Bristol Limited

£85,533

Music

Funk Productions Ltd

£50,000

Not discipline specific

George Street (Bath) Ltd

£249,300

Music

GRADE Management

£122,000

Music

Holburne Museum

£326,408

Museums

Invisible Circus

£65,000

Theatre

Jane Austen Ltd

£189,903

Combined arts

Koolwaters agency Ltd

£96,548

Music

Loco Klub

£83,000

Combined arts

Motion Events LTD

£884,796

Music

Next Stage Theatre Company Ltd.

£51,499

Theatre

Optimum Mastering

£50,000

Music

Portland Productions

£50,000

Combined arts

Propaganda Promotions LTD

£249,857

Music

Rondo Trust

£50,000

Theatre

Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory (stf)

£50,000

Theatre

Spike Island Artspace Ltd

£189,306

Visual arts

SS Great Britain Trust

£888,186

Museums

St George's Bristol

£564,916

Music

SWG Events Ltd

£200,000

Not discipline specific

T.H.Collective

£195,000

Not discipline specific

TDR PRODUCTIONS LTD

£248,465

Music

The Beau Nash Ltd t/a Komedia Bath

£210,000

Combined arts

The Louisiana, Bristol

£137,476

Music

The Pool Agency Limited

£50,000

Music

The Wardrobe Ensemble

£51,600

Theatre

The Wardrobe Theatre

£65,192

Theatre

Theatre Ad Infinitum

£58,500

Theatre

Theatre Bristol Ltd

£50,019

Theatre

Theatre Royal Bath

£955,192

Theatre

Trigger

£85,558

Theatre

Trinity Community Arts

£329,363

Music

Watershed Arts Trust Ltd

£731,993

Not discipline specific

Weston-super-Mare Town Council

£323,000

Theatre

TOTAL

£10,503,575

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