Further £487K Lifeline Grant to Support Reading’s Cultural Recovery

READING Council has secured a £487,000 funding lifeline to support the recovery of Reading’s arts and culture venues, including the Hexagon, South Street and Reading Museum.

The award is part of the second round of funding from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help organisations face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future.

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

The grant will significantly contribute to the service’s preparations for reopening as part of Step Two of the Government’s spring roadmap (which is still subject to approval).

The current anticipated timetable includes:

• Reading Museum is set to reopen from Tuesday 18th May www.readingmuseum.org.uk
• The Hexagon will re-open with the show ‘On Track’ on Friday 28^th May https://whatsonreading.com
• South Street will return for a series of open-air theatre as part of SITELINES Theatre in Unusual Spaces in June  https://whatsonreading.com

All venues and shows will be reopened with COVID safety measures built into the experience, to ensure everyone’s safety is a top priority.

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 funding builds on the £989,374 grant awarded to Reading’s cultural services in October 2020, which came in addition to £80,500 for running events safely in the Abbey Quarter.

Donna Pentelow, Assistant Director of Culture, said: “We are grateful for the generous funding that has been announced for our arts and culture venues, including the Hexagon, South Street and Reading Museum.  

“The challenges we’ve faced over the past year have shone a light on how much we need the arts and culture as an antidote to the stresses, pressure and isolation we have faced during the pandemic. We truly believe the input our sector has had, and will continue to offer, aids our community’s recovery and wellbeing.  With the help of this funding, our services can continue to successfully play this role going forward.”

“Closely following the government’s spring roadmap, and with the safety of our staff and members of the public at the forefront of everything we do, we now hope to start welcoming people back to our cultural services, activities and events.

“Added to the £989,374 we were awarded last October, this further recovery grant will go towards reopening our doors to all the shows we love and have greatly missed - from big-name comedians to intimate local comedy nights, spectacular musicals and children's shows, to classical concerts and cutting-edge theatre, to name but a few. It will also contribute to Reading Museum’s invaluable local offer, which ranges from the popular school learning sessions that inspire local children, alongside a vibrant programme of thought-provoking temporary exhibitions, fascinating historical tours and family-friendly activities.”

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.”

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