£249,000 Arts Council recovery grant is music to Hampshire's ears

The funding is part of the Government's £1.57 billion to protect the UK's culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The quarter of a million pounds given to Hampshire Music Service will help keep the county's Music Education Hub services running.

Reacting to the announcement, the County Council's Executive Member for Education and Skills, Councillor Roz Chadd, said:

"This is really good news. Our Music Service is the largest provider of youth music education across the county. The COVID-19 crisis has presented major challenges for the service and budgets have been under significant pressure. We welcome the funding as recognition of the value that music plays in the education and wellbeing of pupils - now even more so after they have been through so much this year."

"Hampshire Music Hub has worked tirelessly with schools and other partners to ensure music can continue during these difficult times. Face to face teaching has resumed through the welcome support of the majority of schools. The next step will be to reinstate the wealth of bands, orchestras and choirs that take place in schools and across the county. Following on from this we hope that the large scale events, that the service is famous for can also resume when it is safe to do so."

The Culture Recovery Fund is to enable cultural organisations that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis to stay afloat, providing them with support over a six-month period to ensure that by 31 March 2021 they can reopen, either fully or partially, or operate on a sustainable, cost-efficient basis until they are able to reopen fully at a later date.

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."

Wiltshire organisations have also benefited from the funding including Wiltshire Creative which was awarded f £446,968 whilst the Chalke Valley History Festival was given £260,000 to enable their schools programme to go ahead.