Darlington Hippodrome Successful In £1m Funding Bid

A north east theatre has been successful in its bid for £1million from the Arts Council England (ACE) Culture Recovery Fund.

The grant will help Darlington Hippodrome offset losses from cancelled productions, retain jobs, and secure the long-term future of the theatre, as well as supporting the venue's current programme.

The Hippodrome was forced to close its doors in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but reopened in September with a varied timetable of socially-distanced events and activities including backstage tours, classes in drama, dance and art for young people and adults, and classic cinema screenings.

Councillor Andy Keir, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for local services said: "Arts and culture are of vital importance to the local economy and to the wellbeing of Darlington residents.

"Our much-loved Edwardian theatre, Darlington Hippodrome, is integral to the cultural landscape of the town and the wider region, and we are thrilled that this grant, alongside continued funding from Darlington Borough Council, will help secure its future."

Heather Tarran-Jones, the Hippodrome's Director of Programming and Development, said: "We are delighted and relieved to receive news of this grant this morning. Our sector has been hit hard by the pandemic and we are very grateful to receive support from central government, administered through ACE, as part of a £1.57 billion package to protect the UK's culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19.

"I am proud that as a venue we have continued to deliver activity throughout this crisis, first online and, since September, in our beautiful venue. This grant will mean that these activities can continue, but we still need the support of the public, and want to thank everyone who has helped us, whether by a donation, a ticket to an event, or a cup of coffee in the Hippo Lounge."

The grant, the highest in this round of funding, was awarded as part of the Government's £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future, the Culture Secretary has announced today.

The theatre is one of 588 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support - with £76 million of investment announced today. This follows £257 million awarded earlier in the week to 1,385 organisations, also from the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "This is more vital funding to protect cultural gems across the country, save jobs and prepare the arts to bounce back. Through Arts Council England we are delivering the biggest ever investment in the arts in record time. Hundreds of millions of pounds are already making their way to thousands of organisations.

"These awards build on our commitment to be here for culture in every part of the country."

Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said: "Culture is an essential part of life across the country, helping to support people's wellbeing through creativity and self-expression, bringing communities together, and fuelling our world class creative industries.

"This latest set of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund builds on those announced recently and will help hundreds of organisations to survive the next few months, ensuring that the cultural sector can bounce back after the crisis. We will continue doing everything we can to support artists and cultural and creative organisations, with further funding to be announced in the coming weeks."

For more information about Darlington Hippodrome and details of its forthcoming events programme, visit the website at www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

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