- 01843 834160
- [email protected]
- Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 17:00
Hampshire Music Service awarded Arts Council recovery grant
Hampshire Music Service, Lead Partner in the Hampshire Music Education Hub, has been awarded a £249,000 grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme, being administered by Arts Council England.
The funding, which will help to keep the Hub’s services running, was announced by the Arts Council (Monday 12 October 2020) as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of COVID-19.
Reacting to the announcement, the County Council’s Executive Member for Education and Skills, Councillor Roz Chadd, said: “This is really good news. Our Music Service is the largest provider of youth music education across the county. The COVID-19 crisis has presented major challenges for the service and budgets have been under significant pressure. We welcome the funding as recognition of the value that music plays in the education and wellbeing of pupils – now even more so after they have been through so much this year.
“Hampshire Music Hub has worked tirelessly with schools and other partners to ensure music can continue during these difficult times. Face to face teaching has resumed through the welcome support of the majority of schools. The next step will be to reinstate the wealth of bands, orchestras and choirs that take place in schools and across the county. Following on from this we hope that the largescale events, that the service is famous for can also resume when it is safe to do so.”
The Culture Recovery Fund is to enable cultural organisations that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis to stay afloat, providing them with support over a six-month period to ensure that by 31 March 2021 they can reopen, either fully or partially, or operate on a sustainable, cost-efficient basis until they are able to reopen fully at a later date.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery.
“These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country. This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”
Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, added: “Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences. Further funding is still to be announced and we are working hard to support our sector during these challenging times.”
Through the Hampshire Music Hub, the Music Service provides music tuition and performance experience for over 176,000 children and young people in Hampshire and employs 180 music tutors.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England (ACE) is the national development agency for creativity and culture. ACE has set out its strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 they want England to be a country in which the creativity of everyone is valued, given the chance to flourish and has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. They invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk
Following the COVID-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. They are also one of several bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund – an unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector.
You are able to keep up to date with our articles, news and publications by following us on our social media channels below:
News
Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees Fundraising EventApr 10, 2024
Thanet District Council grants more than £200kMar 25, 2024
Got The Love Festival: Litter PickMar 13, 2024
10th Anniversary of The Micro Museum, RamsgateMar 08, 2024
