£3 million boost for our theatre
Fri 6 Nov 2020We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded £3 million as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help our organisation survive the financial challenges caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
We are one of eight organisations receiving grants totalling £18,760,865 million today, as part of the second round of grants between £1 million and £3 million from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. This follows a previous round of similar sized grants and two rounds of grants under £1 million announced last month, which supported over 2000 organisations. Announcements on further funding will follow in the coming weeks.
Our Chief Executive Deborah Shaw, said: “We are thrilled and relieved to receive this vital support of £3 million from the Culture Recovery Fund, which takes away the threat of permanent closure in the face of the Covid-19 crisis and supports our organisation through until the end of March 2021. We are hugely grateful to the Treasury and DCMS for their commitment to safeguarding the nation’s cultural life at this time, and to the Arts Council for ensuring that the funds have been distributed so widely.
The Marlowe receives no revenue funding and operates as a self-funding charity. We are reliant on Box Office for 99% of our income and our success in normal years allows us to invest in regional artists and production and to create a rich programme of creative opportunities for our thriving youth companies, our network of 22 associate schools and the communities of Kent.
With this funding, we are able to continue that work, build our organisational resilience and support our brilliant workforce We intend to re-open as soon as possible, so we can be at the heart of our city and region’s spiritual, social and economic recovery. “
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden said: “These grants will help the places that have shaped our skylines for hundreds of years and that continue to define culture in our towns and cities.
“From St Paul’s and Ronnie Scott’s to The Lowry and Durham Cathedral, we’re protecting heritage and culture in every corner of the country to save jobs and ensure it can bounce back strongly.”
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England said: “Culture makes a huge and increasing contribution to our national life, bringing communities together, fuelling our creative industries, and representing our country on the world stage. These grants add to those announced last month, and will put these organisations in a better position to bounce back and help their communities recover from this crisis. The Arts Council is grateful to the government for the special support being made available to the arts and culture through the Culture Recovery Fund and we’re proud to support all the organisations receiving awards today.”
We temporarily closed our doors to audiences, due to the coronavirus outbreak, on Tuesday 17th March 2020.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we have continued to work with our local community. Youth theatre sessions were moved online to ensure that young people had access to a creative life during lockdown, The Marlowe Youth Company performed a site-specific work across the theatre building and a free weekend of outdoor performances and street theatre called Love My Theatre took place in August.
We are now looking forward to bringing pantomime back to Canterbury this Christmas, with Nurse Nellie Saves Panto, our socially distanced festive show that promises a small but perfectly-formed fun-packed present to local families at the end of this challenging year.
We would also like to thank everyone who has supported us over the last few months and particularly to those who have donated to our Love Your Theatre campaign – it has made such a difference.
#HereForCulture.