WORCESTER Live chiefs are celebrating the charitable trust which runs the Swan Theatre and Huntingdon Hall scooped almost a quarter of a million pounds in Government bailout cash.
The Worcester Live Charitable Trust has been awarded £244,000 in the latest round of funding from the Government’s £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Arts Council England have announced a further 588 cultural and creative organisations are to receive a share of £76million to ensure they have a sustainable future amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
Funding to Worcester Live will save jobs, support the temporary closure of Huntingdon Hall and allow the safe re-opening of the Swan Theatre for community groups, youth workshops and partnership outreach programmes.
Grants awarded at the weekend went to those bodies which applied for grants of under £1million in the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. This funding will help organisations create work and performances, and plan for reopening.
The funding distributed today follows £257million awarded to 1,385 organisations last week.
Sarah-Jane Morgan, chief executive of Worcester Live said: “The funding is an absolute lifeline to Worcester Live Charitable Trust. The last seven months have been incredibly challenging for our organisation and this grant will enable us to navigate this continuing difficult time until we can see a more sustainable future in the Spring.
“We will be able to use the funding to secure jobs, help with the running costs of both the Swan Theatre and Huntingdon Hall and also run a cultural outreach project for the city of Worcester across the Winter
“The Worcester Live board, staff, friends, volunteers and our wider network of freelance actors and specialised creatives are utterly delighted that our future has been assured for the moment.
“Although this funding will not secure our future indefinitely we are certainly looking more positively towards the future,” she added.
City MP Robin Walker said: “I very much welcome the support and I am pleased that Worcester Live will receive this significant grant from the Culture Recovery Fund. This grant will protect Worcester Live for future generations, to ensure these treasured venues have a sustainable future.”
