Government financial support for cultural organisations during the Covid-19 pandemic has been widely hailed as a success.
An independent report sets out clear evidence that the Culture Recovery Fund has provided a much-valued lifeline.
The £1.57 billion package of emergency cultural funding helped support nearly 220,000 jobs and 5,000 organisations.
The aim was to safeguard important institutions, protect jobs and preserve the UK’s world-class cultural offering.
The initiative increased the income of supported organisations by 140 per cent helping them to survive and devise alternative ways of bringing in audiences during the emergency.
The report – by economic research provider Ecorys – shows that, on reopening, the organisations were often able to present a strengthened offering.
The Culture Recovery Fund was the largest-ever investment in arts and culture in the country.
It was delivered in partnership with Arts Council England, the British Film Institute, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Historic England.
Arts Council England chief executive officer Darren Henley CBE said: “The Government’s Culture Recovery Fund was an unprecedented investment in the cultural life of our country.
“Its support for cultural organisations across the country helped to preserve the vital infrastructure of our cultural economy, and put the sector in a stronger position to face the challenges of the post-pandemic world.”
Historic England chairman Sir Laurie Magnus said: “Historic places, heritage organisations and skilled craftspeople across the country were supported by the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund during the darkest days of the pandemic.
“This funding was a lifeline, helping to save much-loved visitor attractions, thousands of jobs and the specialist skills needed to keep the wheels of heritage turning.”
