The Courtyard to receive £276,000 from second round of government’s Culture Recovery Fund

The Courtyard in Hereford has received a grant of £276,000 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including The Courtyard in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

This additional funding will help protect The Courtyard’s future until the end of June 2021, when it is hoped restrictions and social distancing will be eased. Following its closure in March 2020, 94% of its self-generated income was lost through ticket sales, events and Café Bar income, as well as facing thousands of refunds.

As well as assisting with fixed expenses, the grant will support The Courtyard’s reopening programme, the installation of a new Covid safe ordering system in the catering department and employing more creative freelancers to deliver workshops.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

Courtyard Chief Executive, Ian Archer, said: “The Courtyard is absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a further £276,000 from the Culture Recovery Fund. The Courtyard is an established thriving arts centre and remains deeply rooted in the community. We are extremely grateful to DCMS and Arts Council England for all their support in ensuring that The Courtyard continues to serve as the hub of cultural life within the county and the region, providing a quality programme of work where people can experience and/or participate both within the building, through our youth theatres, learning, adult participation and outreach activities. This additional funding lifeline will help secure the future of The Courtyard for the people of Herefordshire and beyond”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said: “Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work. 

 We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.