Rebecca Harris Welcomes the Rescue of Music Venues across the Country

• 135 grassroots music venues have been saved by emergency funding as part of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
• The Government is making available an immediate rescue package worth £3.36 million as grassroots music venues are the first recipients from massive Culture Recovery Fund.
• Government encourages public to be Here for Culture and support local cultural organisations as covid-secure performances restart and museums and galleries reopen.

Support is being provided by the Government to music venues across the country that face closure due to the pandemic. The £3.36 million Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund is being shared among 135 venues across England who applied for support to survive the imminent risk of collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

 In response to the demand for help from some of the hardest hit in the sector, and to ensure the support would be felt far and wide, an additional £1.1 million was also brought forward, increasing the fund from £2.25 million to £3.36 million to help as many venues as quickly as possible.

Rebecca Harris reacted to the news saying:

“Having been contacted by many constituents concerned about the arts and entertainment sector, I recognise the enormous cultural and economic contribution they make to this Country.

“I hope this funding will go some way to protecting our vibrant live performance scene so that we all might have something to look forward to as we come out of this pandemic.”

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:

“This Government is here for culture and these grants today show we are determined to help our exceptional music industry weather the covid storm and come back stronger.

“Grassroots music venues are where the magic starts and these emergency grants from our £1.57 billion fund will ensure these music venues survive to create the Adeles and Ed Sheerans of the future.

“I encourage music fans to help too by supporting music and cultural events as they start to get going again. We need a collective effort to help the things we love through covid.”

Arts Council England CEO, Darren Henley, said:

“This much-welcomed emergency investment from the government into grassroots music venues will have a profoundly positive impact on England’s music ecology, and today’s news will mean a great deal to the many artists, audiences and communities they serve across the country.”