Read on Twitter
There's really no way £1.57bn can be anything other than good news and a vital lifeline but please, everyone
Stay Alert
Wait for the Small Print #SaveTheArts https://twitter.com/OliverDowden/status/1279877147767824384
Stay Alert
Wait for the Small Print #SaveTheArts https://twitter.com/OliverDowden/status/1279877147767824384
The £880m fund of general grants for context is roughly equivalent to two years worth of @ace_national NPO budget, and is reserved for England. Other countries have smaller devolved funds (but still many times the, for example, £10m announced in Scotland this week)
Things we don't yet know!
Which depts or agencies are administering the funds?
What criteria for recipients?
Eligibility - assume this money reaches far beyond those ordinarilt eligible for funding. Means the money has to stretch much further
Which depts or agencies are administering the funds?
What criteria for recipients?
Eligibility - assume this money reaches far beyond those ordinarilt eligible for funding. Means the money has to stretch much further
What are the criteria for loans vs funds? Are the loans interest free? Over what term? Are they new money or extensions of CBIL?
Will recipients be allowed to use money to perform? This announcement could still be consistent with Sunday Times article circulating earlier
Will recipients be allowed to use money to perform? This announcement could still be consistent with Sunday Times article circulating earlier
For grants - what is the per-applicant grant limit?
Are there rules around how much of their reserves or working capital a recipient needs to have exhausted to be eligible?
Are there rules around how much of their reserves or working capital a recipient needs to have exhausted to be eligible?
Bit more info from the press release which can be found here https://northwestend.com/?p=585
Seeing so many tweets that this is £1.57bn "for theatre"- no! For all arts and culture.
That includes commercial sector.
That includes the 1,600 independent museums in the UK who currently receive no regular funding.
It could include hundreds of thousands of freelancers...
That includes commercial sector.
That includes the 1,600 independent museums in the UK who currently receive no regular funding.
It could include hundreds of thousands of freelancers...
I worked in Westminster for a few years so I'm sorry my default response is to always interrogate Very Big Numbers In Press Releases!
Really heartwarming to see the palpable relief and joy felt by so many around this news tonight though, and as I say, it can only be good news
Really heartwarming to see the palpable relief and joy felt by so many around this news tonight though, and as I say, it can only be good news
Suggestion here that funds could be open directly to freelancers in Scotland - Dowden on Today and Times Radio said its targeted at organisations in England https://twitter.com/NewmanEJ/status/1280042983635771393?s=19
One of the biggest questions of course is "how long is this funding meant to last?" - Oliver Dowden on Times Radio said "until the end of the financial year", confirming that the government intends to stick to it's 5 step plan. Focus for funding is to preserve the infrastructure
Dowden on Times Radio mentioned that the loans part of the package is for those needing £1m+ (and are presumably outside of the fund designated for national organisations?) - loans potentially targeted at largest commercial groups in live music and theatre then?
