Culture Recovery grant for Chalke Valley History Festival

The Trust behind the event is getting a lifeline from the Government.

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 13th Oct 2020

The Chalke Valley History Festival (CVHF) is among a number of cultural organisations to get support as part of the nationwide Cultural Recovery Fund.

They're getting £260,000, which they've said will mean the Festival, and their schools programme, can go ahead in 2021, subject to Covid-19 restrictions.

A socially distant event is currently planned to take place between 21st and 27th June 2021.

The Chalke Valley History Festival is the biggest event of its kind in the country

Festival Director, Jane Pleydell-Bouverie, said:

"We are absolutely delighted and so grateful to have received funding thanks to the Government's Culture Recovery Fund. We passionately believe that it is only by learning about the past that we can make sense of the present and prepare for the future so this grant will enable us to continue to mount the Festival for Schools alongside the main Chalke Valley History Festival programme."

The site of the Chalke Valley History Festival in Broad Chalke

WHAT IS CVHF?

It's believed to be the UK's biggest festival dedicated to history, attracting up to 30,000 people to Broad Chalke each year.

The talks, performances, music and living history displays usually include some big names too, with people like journalist and comedian Ian Hislop, historian Dan Snow, politician Jacob Rees-Mogg and comedian and actor Harry Enfield part of the line-up last year.

The Festival for Schools also gives young people in the area a chance to visit a learn more about history on site.

A number of other arts and cultural organisations have also been supported through the Government's Cultural Recovery Fund - including Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire Creative, River Bourne Community Farm and the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection.