Worthing Theatres and Museum (WTM) are thrilled to announce that we’ve been awarded £98,000 as part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund third round, aimed at supporting cultural organisations as they continue to provide arts and heritage to local communities.
We’re among 925 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund. Indeed, more than £100 million has been awarded to hundreds of cultural organisations across the country in the latest round of support, the Culture Secretary announced today. It will support organisations from all corners of the sector as they deal with ongoing reopening challenges, ensuring they can thrive in better times ahead.
This grant will not only enable us to continue delivering on an exceptional programme, but will allow us to further build confidence in audiences for whom the pandemic is an ongoing barrier to experiencing live arts and heritage events. Investment will go into increasing WTM’s visibility and engagement in the local Worthing area, and developing our performance spaces to be as comfortable and welcoming as possible for our audiences.
WTM’s upcoming programme speaks to our drive to offer world-class live shows, cinema screenings and Museum projects, as well as special community-led arts and heritage projects, in Sussex. Examples include stellar theatre such as Peter James’ Looking Good Dead, outstanding family shows like Zog and the Flying Doctors, as well as a triumphant return to Worthing from dance group, BalletBoyz, with many more to come. We’re dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive programme for Worthing and Sussex as a whole.
Over £1.2 billion has already been awarded from the unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, supporting around 5,000 individual organisations and sites across the country ranging from local museums to West End theatres, grassroots music venues to festivals, and organisations in the cultural and heritage supply-chains.
Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries said:
‘Culture is for everyone and should therefore be accessible to everyone, no matter who they are and where they’re from. Through unprecedented government financial support, the Culture Recovery Fund is supporting arts and cultural organisations so they can continue to bring culture to communities the length and breadth of the country, supporting jobs, boosting local economies and inspiring people.’
WTM CEO, Amanda O’Reilly said:
‘We are delighted to have received a grant from the Cultural Recovery Fund Round 3. The funding will allow us to continue our work to enable everyone to access arts and heritage by creating shared experiences that entertain, educate and inspire; ensuring our vision to enrich people’s lives through arts and heritage. Specifically the funding will support our work to communicate and engage with our community as we emerge from the pandemic and welcome audiences back into our venues. It will allow us to champion inclusivity, cultivate creativity and offer access to exceptional arts and heritage in the heart of Worthing; developing and showcasing a unique innovative programme that will surprise and delight our audiences.’
Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said:
‘This continued investment from the Government on an unprecedented scale means our theatres, galleries, music venues, museums and arts centres can carry on playing their part in bringing visitors back to our high streets, helping to drive economic growth, boosting community pride and promoting good health. It’s a massive vote of confidence in the role our cultural organisations play in helping us all to lead happier lives.’
As a charitable organisation, WTM relies on the generosity and support of the community and their audiences. If you would like to find out more about how you can support WTM today, please visit www.wtm.uk/support