Almost £6 million for Mayflower & BIC

The Mayflower is one of the country's largest theatres, and has been working hard to make sure they can welcome guests back safely

Published 24th Oct 2020

Mayflower Theatre, in Southampton, has been awarded £3 million as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

BH Live in Bournemouth is being given £2,499,531.

The venues are two of 35 major cultural organisations receiving the first grants between £1 and £3 million through the Culture Recovery Fund – with £75 million of investment announced today (Saturday).

Michael Ockwell, Mayflower Theatre Chief Executive said:

"We are delighted to receive this essential financial support from the Culture Recovery Fund. This means we can continue to offer cultural activity in the local and regional community throughout the closure period.

As a venue that does not normally receive any funding, our aim has been to support other cultural and community organisations and we can continue to host a variety of events and commit to a season of socially distanced productions until we are able to open again to full capacity.

This funding means we can build from a solid platform and contribute to the social and economic recovery that our region will need over the coming months. Arts can be transformative and this essential commitment allows us to continue our outreach and community work, particularly supporting young people by developing opportunities for them to harness their own creativity.

We hope we can reach an even wider audience and justify this investment which recognises just how the creative industries can be a power for good."

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“As part of our unprecedented £1.57 billion rescue fund, today we're saving British cultural icons with large grants of up to £3 million – from Shakespeare's Globe to the Sheffield Crucible. These places and organisations are irreplaceable parts of our heritage and what make us the cultural superpower we are. This vital funding will secure their future and protect jobs right away."

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

“The Culture Recovery Fund has already helped hundreds of organisations, of all types and sizes, in villages, towns and cities across the country. It has provided a lifeline that will allow these organisations to continue to play an integral role in their communities and produce new artistic work that will entertain and inspire us all.

“This latest funding, which are the largest grants to date, will support some of the country’s most loved and admired cultural spaces – from great regional theatres and museums to historic venues in the capital – which are critical to the development of a new generation of talent and in providing work for freelance creatives.”