The Turbine Theatre Receives Lifeline Grant From Government's £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund

The Turbine Theatre has been awarded £90,000 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 Turbine Theatre is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. £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.

Founded in August 2019, new energy drives everything at The Turbine Theatre, from festivals of brand-new works, world premieres of new productions and classic stories reimagined for contemporary audiences.

Every story is a journey and The Turbine Theatre aims to be just the first stage for every idea, risk and labour of love that is brought to life in this electric new environment.

Paul Taylor Mills, Artistic Director, The Turbine Theatre said:

"The events of the last year have been life-changing for those working within the theatre industry. At The Turbine Theatre we've tried to be as resilient as we can be but the challenges of the last 7 months have been unfathomable. Over this time we've continued to entertain audiences through our outdoor festival, we've employed a variety of freelancers to work on our shows and still programmed emerging talent. Furthermore, we've raised over £60,000 through our #FundForFreelancers support fund.

The support from the Cultural Recovery Fund will allow us to retain staff, continue to promote new musicals / artists and ensure we're able to hit the ground running for when we're finally able to open our doors. I'm desperate that this will be sooner rather than later.

Theatre remains an important part of so many people's lives and not just the people who work within the industry. Its value to the economy and indeed the health and wellbeing of those that call this great country home should never be under estimated. I'm honoured that we've been chosen as one of the organisations trusted to get us back to a vibrant and meaningful future for the arts."

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."

Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said:

"Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences. Further funding is still to be announced and we are working hard to support our sector during these challenging times."

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