Latest round of £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund beneficiaries include Military Wives Choir

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The Military Wives Choir, Somerset House and the Puppet Theatre Barge are among the latest London arts organisations to benefit from the governement’s £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund.

Another 588 organisations across the country will receive a share of £76 million in the latest announcement from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

London organisations on the latest list include the Military Wives Choir which is getting £92,057 to help find and fund rehearsal venues, pay musical directors, deliver weekly rehearsals and continue to offer safe spaces for thousands of women who are part of the group.

The Military Wives Choir rose to fame through the BBC documentary series with conductor Gareth Malone and was recently the subject of a film starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan.

Somerset House
PA

Somerset House is getting £950,000 predominantly to help restart its Creative Careers Programme as well as develop a limited cultural series.

Kings Place in Islington is to get £562,000 to support its hour-long socially-distanced performances plus low-cost family events, talks and local walks. The Puppet Theatre Barge - a 50-seat marionette theatre on a converted barge - will receive £52,352, which will be used to support a staged reopening, starting with digital productions and moving towards real life shows.

Other organisations that will be receiving funding nationally include Kneehigh Theatre in Cornwall. which will receive £249,833, Whitby Gothic Festival in North Yorkshire, which is getting £55,000, and The Hepworth Wakefield Trust in Yorkshire which will take home £146,726 to help support a free exhibition drawn from its own extensive collection.

The Comedy Store, the largest employer of professional comedy performers in the UK, will receive £964,252 to retain staff in both of its city locations - London and Liverpool - and help support more than 250 freelancers.

On Monday, it was announced £257 million was to be handed to 1,385 organisations - including London Symphony Orchestra, Wigmore Hall and Finborough Theatre in Earl’s Court.

Visitors to the Whitby Gothic Festival which is one of the beneficaries
AFP via Getty Images

All of the grants announced so far have been up to £1 million in value - with the institutions receiving over that figure announced in due course.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This is more vital funding to protect cultural gems across the country, save jobs and prepare the arts to bounce back. Through Arts Council England we are delivering the biggest ever investment in the arts in record time. Hundreds of millions of pounds are already making their way to thousands of organisations. These awards build on our commitment to be here for culture in every part of the country.”

Melanie Nightingale, Director, Military Wives Choirs, said: “This much-needed support enables the Military Wives Choirs to continue in our mission of increasing wellbeing through singing, to our inclusive network of over 2,000 women across the military community and audiences across the country and abroad. We are thrilled that this funding enables our 73 choirs to sing, share and support one another and feel stronger together through music.”

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