Arts Council England have released the first figures regarding the allocation of the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund.
The £1.57 billion fund was announced in July by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden with venues, theatres, and cultural organisations able to apply for grants.
On Monday the results of the first round of applications were made public, revealing that £257 million of the budget has been allocated so far in over 1300 offers. Applications made from London postcodes have received the greatest amount of funding, with £87 million going to the city.
£32 million has been awarded to applications in the second most successful area, the South East. The North East received the lowest amount of funding in England at £10 million.
Scotland and Wales received limited funding, with £55,000 and £112,000 awarded to the two countries respectively. Both the Scottish and Welsh governments are also running their own support funds to support their cultural and creative sectors.
The highest grants were offered to well known institutions such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Ltd, Ministry of Sound, and the Young Vic Company. Many smaller venues and organisations, who were unsuccessful in securing financial support, have expressed their disappointment at being left out so far.
Words by Ellie Robson.
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