Brighouse and Rastrick Band are thrilled to hear we have received funding of £68,600 thanks to the government’s #CultureRecoveryFund so that we can continue to be here for you and #HereForCulture.
More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Brighouse & Rastrick Band in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.
The purpose of the grant is to enable the band to make the steps to successfully return to performing to audience members across the UK and further, whilst competing at the pinnacle of brass banding following the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding will also help the band to continue delivering virtual recordings and concerts to all of our followers from around the world.
The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:
“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.
Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”
B&R Chairman Ste Cavanagh said: “After an extremely challenging year for all, this is fantastic news for B&R, banding and the arts in general. This funding will enable B&R to bring live music back into people’s lives. Not only will this give an incredible boost to people’s mental wellbeing, but over time it will also see us again able to work with other professional musicians, concert halls, travel companies, recording companies, etc. who also have fallen victim to the restrictions we have all experienced over the last 12 months. We are extremely grateful to Arts Council England for supporting our application, and I would also like to thank Dr. William Evans, Andy Moore, Stephen Lomas, and Ian Broadbent for their hard work in putting the application together.
We cannot wait to get the B&R team back together in person, and we are even more excited to welcome back our fantastic audiences in person too.”
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said:
“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.
We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”
The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.