Three more cultural organisations in Thirsk and Malton are set to benefit from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF). Helmsley Arts Centre will receive £50,000 from the grants programme. Ryedale Folk Museum will receive £79,500, and Rural Arts North Yorkshire will receive £115,000. This funding will help keep these venues open and to protect jobs following the coronavirus pandemic.
This is great news for three excellent organisations in the constituency. This much needed funding will help preserve jobs as the restrictions continue. I know how much local communities value their local arts and cultural venues, and thanks to this funding this can continue, so I am delighted that the Government has stepped in to support them.
Artistic Director, Helmsley Arts Centre Natasha Jones said “We are utterly delighted to have been successful in our application to Arts Council England’s Cultural Recovery Fund. This will make a huge difference to Helmsley Arts Centre and our community of artists, creative practitioners and freelancers as well as our audiences and participants. We can't wait to get started and infuse the arts into our communities, especially at such a crucial time for the industry and the public's mental health. A huge thank you to everyone who has and continues to support us!"
Director, Ryedale Folk Museum, Jennifer Smith said: “We are delighted to hear that Ryedale Folk Museum has received a substantial grant from the Culture Recovery Fund. This money will allow the Museum's staff and volunteers to continue conserving our incredible historic buildings and keep working with the communities we serve. Ryedale Folk Museum is an important cultural venue in North Yorkshire and this investment will ensure that we can re-open to visitors in 2021, playing our role in the lives of people and the economy of the North York Moors as we have done for the last 55 years.”
Director and CEO, Rural Arts North Yorkshire, Max May said “We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this vital support from DCMS’s Cultural Recovery Fund. By safeguarding Rural Arts’ future, we will keep reaching 30,000 people each year through culture and creativity, and help to rebuild our local communities socially and economically as we navigate the new normal.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said “This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery. These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country. This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”
Nationwide, £257 million of investment has been announced today as part of the very first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks. It comes hard on the heels of the announcement last week in which Thirsk and Malton heritage organisations won £2million worth of grants including for Castle Howard, Eden Camp and the Wesley Centre in Malton.
From left to right it is Lizzie Rohan, Trustee; Hugh O'Loughlin, former Trustee; Jennifer Smith, Director; and Kevin Hollinrake MP.
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