£408 million Arts support

Chancellor Rishi Sunak digs deep, adding £300m to the £1.57bn Cultural Recovery Fund, £90m more for museums, and £18m for cultural community projects

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has today on 3 March announced the details of Budget 2021, pledging £408 million to support the arts sector. 

The funding is intended to help museums, theatres and galleries to reopen when Coronavirus restrictions ease. Mr Sunak has described the culture sector, which employs 700,000 people, as a “significant driver” in recovery, playing a key role in the “roadmap” for reducing restrictions.

Details of the investment include:

• £300m will go into the Culture Recovery Fund 
• £90m to help government-sponsored National Museums and cultural bodies in England stay afloat until they can reopen on 17 May (at the earliest)
• £18.8m for local cultural infrastructure projects in Carlisle, Hartlepool, Wakefield and Yeovil to boost the cultural life of the towns and cities
• £77m will go towards supporting culture groups in the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

This will involve a further £300m in the Culture Recovery Fund, as well as £90m to help museums and cultural bodies remain afloat until they can reopen. £18.8 million will be provided for community cultural projects.

It is also being reported that £77 million will be given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – to aid cultural groups in a similar vein. Further details are to be revealed.

The news comes ahead of tomorrow’s budget, when it is expected that further furlough support will be unveiled, as will a continued reduction in VAT for items such as theatre tickets.

It is unknown if any alterations will be made to the SEISS (Self-Employed Income Support Scheme) that may aid the large portion of the freelance workforce that has remained unsupported over the last year.

Sunak said: “Throughout the crisis we have done everything we can to support our world-renowned arts and cultural industries, and it’s only right that we continue to build on our historic package of support for the sector.

“This industry is a significant driver of economic activity, employing more than 700,000 people in jobs across the UK, and I am committed to ensuring the arts are equipped to captivate audiences in the months and years to come.”

CLICK HERE to read the full budget documents