Blackpool Grand Theatre is immensely grateful to learn that its application for Arts Council England: Emergency Response Funds has been successful.

The Grand is one of 196 National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) that have benefitted from the fund, which was launched in April to help the sector overcome the challenges of forced closure, due to Covid-19, until September 2020. The Theatre will receive £193,000 to cover costs incurred because of the pandemic and to continue to engage with audiences, artists and staff during lockdown and in preparation for re-opening. Arts Council England has used its own resources to create this fund, which is separate from and unrelated to the recent announcement of £1.57bn support package announced this week.

Ruth Eastwood, Chief Executive of Blackpool Grand Theatre said “It is a great relief to have received this funding. It will help us, in the short-term, to cover some of the losses that the charity has incurred since it closed the theatre’s doors on 17 March 2020 and begin to plan for reopening.  Obviously, with social distancing still in place and theatres not yet allowed to operate ‘normally’, many things remain uncertain about both the economic viability and the safety of theatres, like The Grand, returning to working the way things were.  However, we are confident that, whilst the world may look very different when this difficult times come to an end, the Grand Theatre will bounce back, stronger and with even more to offer our local and regional communities”.

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Media

Media questions regarding the Arts Council England: Emergency Response Funds please email marketing@blackpoolgrand.co.uk

Arts Council England

Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspire us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, we plan to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

Blackpool Grand Theatre – Arts Council England, National Portfolio Funding

In July 2014 the Arts Council England granted the Grand Theatre continued funding for the next three years to support and develop a programme of dance and physical theatre. Despite substantial cuts to many theatres, The Grand was one of only a handful of organisations that saw its National Portfolio Organisation Funding increase by 37%.

The Arts Council’s National Portfolio Organisations represent some of the best arts practice in the world, and they play a vital role in helping ACE meet their mission of great art and culture for everyone. ACE are determined to fund organisations at a level at which they can continue to produce the excellent and innovative art that audiences want and deserve.