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Greater Manchester venues receive millions from Culture Recovery Fund

The Lowry, National Football Museum and Band on the Wall are among the recipients of a £58 million pot for culture sites in the north.

The Manc - 2nd April 2021

Northern venues have received over £58 million from the government’s latest round of emergency funding designed to support arts and heritage institutions during the pandemic.

The Culture Recovery Fund has supplied £300 million in grants to over 2,700 organisations – as well as £81 million in tailor-made loans for cultural landmarks.

A number of Manchester sites are set to take a further portion of the overall pot – including galleries, museums and clubs.

The Lowry in Salford will receive £7.3 million – which will go towards funding community outreach and caring for the prestigious LS Lowry collection.

The National Football Museum – which houses the largest public collection of football objects in the world – will receive £239,721; with the extra funding used to support the museum reopening to the public in the summer.

Chief Executive of the National Football Museum Tim Desmond said the organisation was “over the moon.”

Elsewhere on the recipients list, Manchester Pride is set for a £553,642 boost, with Greater Manchester Arts Centre getting £375,000 and Manchester Young People’s Theatre enjoying £96,555.

The University of Manchester has received further funding for Whitworth Art and Manchester Museum, with Oldham Coliseum Theatre handed £56,600.

Beloved music venue Band on the Wall also confirmed it would take a six-figure sum from the pot – being awarded a grant of £154,000.

Gavin Sharp, CEO, Band on the Wall stated: “The pandemic continues to put cultural organisations at risk of closure, and while there is some light at the end of the tunnel, these are still incredibly challenging times in our sector.

“The Cultural Recovery Fund represents an essential lifeline to Band on the Wall, and we are now one step closer to bringing much-missed live music to the stage again.”

Over 48 Manchester venues benefitted from the initial round of funding back in September.

Nonetheless, there were a number of glaring omissions. The most high profile of which was iconic comedy club Frog & Bucket – which failed to get the £60,000 it asked for.

The venue was ultimately saved by fans and performers from closure via donations.

Several venues – including the Frog – that have struggled during the pandemic have launched a special event to raise vital funds ahead of reopening to customers called Manchester’s Big Night In – which will take place on April 10.