Funding will support reopening of Windermere Jetty Museum and Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house.
Lakeland Arts in Cumbria has received a grant of £405,920 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 Lakeland Arts, in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund announced on Friday 2 April by the Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden CBE.
Lakeland Arts’ portfolio of galleries and museums include Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house and Windermere Jetty Museum in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria. The grant will support the reopening of the venues in line with the Government’s roadmap.
Rhian Harris, Lakeland Arts Chief Executive, said:
“We’re grateful for the ongoing support of the Government and Arts Council England through the Cultural Recovery Fund which has enabled Lakeland Arts to continue to care for our venues, collections and communities.
In this pandemic-era, where life has been significantly restricted for everyone, museums and galleries are a vital part of communities’ recovery. At our cultural venues, we look forward to a busy summer beginning with the reopening of Windermere Jetty Museum café on 12 April and our wonderful new season of exhibitions and experiences will be ready for visitors at both Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house and Windermere Jetty Museum later this spring. We’re counting the days until we can welcome people safely back through our doors!”
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 organisation dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The second round of awards 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.”
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 on Friday 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.
