Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government is today launching a further phase of the Cultural Recovery Fund, with up to £30m for the first six months of 2021-22 to help support Wales’ diverse culture sector through the ongoing pandemic. It will also help those parts of the sector as we begin to relax restrictions over the coming months as we continue to work with the sector to recover.
We have listened and worked with the sectors to put this additional package of support in place. We recognise the unprecedented challenges the pandemic is having on the cultural fabric of Welsh life and we applaud the resilience and creativity on show.
The fund will be delivered jointly by the Welsh Government, the Arts Council of Wales and local authorities.
The Cultural Recovery Fund, announced last summer, provided £63.3m in 2020-21 to support theatres, music venues, heritage sites, events, museums, libraries, galleries, independent cinemas and freelancers.
It was made up of three main elements – the Arts Council for Wales administered funding of £18m to support 170 organisations, supporting national and local theatres and art galleries. More than 1,000 jobs have been supported.
The Welsh Government-administered element of the fund provided £27m to support the culture, creative, events and heritage sectors. More than 500 organisations received funding.
The Freelancers Fund was the first of its kind in the UK and has provided a total of £18m of grant support to 3,500 freelancers who have been unable to work during the pandemic and will be vital to the Wales’ cultural recovery.
An eligibility checker will be live from midday Wednesday 24 March 2021.