Nottingham's arts venues respond to the government's emergency…

On Sunday evening (5th July), Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, announced that the government would be providing a £1.57 billion support package to help save the UK's cultural organisations, including, theatres, independent cinemas, live music venues and museums.

The move came after months of campaigning from across the cultural sector. Although details of who will receive financial support and when is yet to be confirmed, organisations across Nottingham have been cautiously optimistic about the news.

Rachel Foster from independent music venue Peggy's Skylight has already been calling for the financial support her business needs to survive via the Music Venues Trust #SaveOurVenues fundraiser, and backing the music industry through the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign. She is relieved at the latest news from the government, but apprehensively waiting for further information:

“We welcome the news. Our building is wrapped in cotton wool at present but still has mounting costs to keep it that way. Without support we will go under and soon. Grassroots venues like Peggy's support emerging as well as established artists to practise their craft in front of a receptive audience. We hope that the grant will help us save what we've worked so hard to achieve. We are now waiting to hear of how those funds will be allocated with baited breath.”

Independent cinemas are also hoping to benefit from the funding announcement, having suffered large losses since lockdown began in March. Broadway Cinema in Nottingham has confirmed that it will re-open in September of this year. Stewart Terry, Director of Marketing and Communications at Broadway said:

“We are delighted that independent cinemas which play a vital cultural role across the country are named as one part of the UK’s Arts industry which will be receiving some of the support announced by Government. During this period of closure, we have been working closely with colleagues at the British Film Institute (BFI) to provide a frank assessment of the financial implications and the costs associated with operating within the context of a global pandemic and we are extremely grateful to the DCMS and Treasury who has listened and responded to the concerns of the sector, in which, Broadway plays a major role within the region.”

Lobbying from the theatre industry has been the loudest over the past few weeks, as venues across the country have been forced to announce closures and redundancies. The new funding package is particularly welcome to a sector that relies heavily on an ecosystem of casual staff and freelance creatives. Campbell Kay, Chairman of Nottingham Arts Theatre, is waiting to find out whether the small community venue will benefit from the funding:

“Any help the government can give the creative industries at this time of crisis is to be welcomed. However, the question is, given that the £1.5 billion is to be spread across the theatre, concert hall, art gallery and museum sectors, how will it be targeted and how effective might it be in ensuring the survival of these beleaguered organisations? In the case of Nottingham Arts Theatre, which is an independent organisation run by a charity that receives no public subsidy, I will be interested to discover whether we will be considered eligible to apply for any of this new government funding.”

Venues that rely on ticket sales may have received much of the focus over the past few months, but free-to-enter museums and galleries have also been badly hit, losing vital revenue made through their retail outlets, on-site donations and special events. Skinder Hundal, CEO of New Art Exchange, was able to sum up the general mood of the cultural sector in the city:

“The additional funding announced for the sector may well be a vital lifeline. Time will tell what the impact of the virus will have long term and whether the funds will be enough for the survival of what is an important fabric of our society.”

There's also been good news for a number of Nottingham cultural organisations who have received money from the Arts Council's Emergency Response Fund. A full list of the organisations and the amount they have been awarded can be found on the Arts Council's website.

The Creative Quarter lends its support to the arts venues across the city at this critical moment, and will be keeping a close eye on further announcements from the government as the details of the support package are revealed. In particular, the Creative Quarter calls for further clarity of support for the vast number of freelance creatives who make our cultural sector the envy of the world. Follow the hashtag #FreelanceTaskforce on Twitter to support and stay up to date with the work being done to ensure financial aid for independent creatives.