Deafinitely Theatre To Receive Cultural Recovery Fund Grant

Deafinitely Theatre is to receive a £25,097 grant in the second round of Arts Council England's Cultural Recovery Fund.

The funding will support the company's upcoming R&D and the running of two digital panels which will continue their digital engagement with Deaf people with an interest in the industry. In addition, it will allow the company to award six further bursaries to deaf or hard of hearing freelance theatre practitioners and performers through their recently launched scheme, set-up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre, Paula Garfield, said today, "We are delighted to receive a further grant from Arts Council England's Cultural Recovery Fund. This grant allows us to expand on the work begun with the first, supporting the development of deaf or hard of hearing freelance theatre practitioners and performers; and enabling us as a company to engage with our audiences through this period of closure with our digital offerings, as well as continuing to develop our own work as we look towards theatre's reopening."

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."