Sunday 5th July welcomed the announcement of a world-leading £1.57 billion rescue package to help cultural, arts and heritage institutions weather the impact of coronavirus.
The news will be providing a much-welcomed lifeline for the theatre and performing arts sector, as they await clarity of how the funds will be invested so that artists and organisations can return back to work as soon as possible.
The rescue package will help organisations such as theatres, museums, galleries, independent cinemas, historic places and the live music sector.
Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson said:
“It’s great to see support for such an important part of Liverpool’s DNA starting to flow. The economics of this are clear for this city – 48 per cent of our business rates come from the culture and tourism sector, so its survival is critical to our success. But it’s about more than that. This is the soul of Liverpool. This is the heart of Liverpool. This is the way we tell our story and the way we inspire change.
We must ensure this support gets to the organisations and people who need it most and helps inspire a cultural reimagining for the new world we are living in. We have invested in this sector consistently for the past 15 years and so I’m delighted the government has recognised that and been working with us to understand the local ecosystem over the past few weeks. Next we must ensure investment happens in the right places and at the right speed.”
