More than £100 million has been awarded to hundreds of cultural organisations across the country including Brass Bands England in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.
Brass Bands England (BBE), the national sector-support organisation for brass bands, has been awarded a grant of £127,000 by Arts Council England.
Funds will support a restructure, which is currently taking place to help the organisation better respond to the needs of its members and the wider banding community.
Funds will also enable the employment of freelance content creators to provide new resources for bands of all shapes, sizes and abilities. Specific additional activity will include digital resources and training around equality, diversity and inclusion within brass bands and their audiences.
Importantly, training and services will continue to be made available online, as well as in person, in order to remain accessible to as many people as possible in bands across the country. There will also be improvements to the BBE website in order to make it easier for members to access vital member support services quickly and efficiently.
This news follows on from recent funding announcements on improved BBE member services and plans to support bands via a new grant-writing service.
This third round of Culture Recovery funding will support organisations from all corners of the sector as they deal with ongoing reopening challenges, ensuring they can thrive in better times ahead.
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.”
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.
Mike Kilroy, Chair of Brass Bands England, said:
“It's so fantastic to see brass bands performing in public again, but many are still navigating the challenges of COVID-19 safety for both performers and audiences. We are hugely grateful to Arts Council England for supporting the next stage of our journey, which will help bands to engage with their communities and with a diverse range of audiences in safe and inclusive ways. It's time to get the general public enjoying bands again!”
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”.