The Government has announced it will spend over half a million pounds on Isle of Wight arts and cultural organisations to help them survive the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The money – which comes from the Culture Recovery Fund – will help five Isle of Wight organisations including Shanklin Theatre, Brading Roman Villa, Steve Ross Foundation for the Arts, Spyder UK Ltd, and Shademakers UK Carnival Club to recover from the economic impact of the virus.
The Government intends the money to be used to protect jobs and allow organisations to begin to put on performances again.
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “The government is here for culture and we have worked around the clock to get this record investment out to the frontline.
“It will allow our wonderful theatres, museums, music venues and cultural organisations to survive this crisis and start putting on performances again - protecting jobs and creating new work for freelancers.
“This is just the start - with hundreds of millions pounds more on the way for cultural organisations of all sizes that still need our help.”
Welcoming the news, Island MP Bob Seely said: “I’m glad this money has come forward and that the Isle of Wight is getting its share.
“We need to secure a future for our entertainment venues and providers so that we don’t lose them following the pandemic.”
This latest announcement will be followed by further allocations of grants and loans to successful applicants to the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund in the coming days and weeks.
Those benefitting include:
Shademakers UK Carnival Club £51,000
Shanklin Theatre Limited £74,502
Brading Roman Villa £96,200
Spyder UK Ltd £104,921
Steve Ross Foundation for the Arts £231,927