KARST has received a grant of £42000 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.
More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including KARST in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today. Plymouth’s latest cultural offering, The Box, is among the other recipients in the city.
Alongside providing increased financial stability for KARST, the grant will contribute towards increasing physical access to the gallery by enabling the installation of a contactless entry system. The system will help to reduce any future risk of COVID-19 transmission as KARST reopens to the public.
Additionally, a proportion of the grant will support an ongoing reduction in studio hire fees to help KARST studio artists emerge from the pandemic. The grant will also be used to engage a consultant to develop and implement a post-COVID fundraising strategy and campaign.
More than £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
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.”
Donna Howard, Executive Director, said:
“We are delighted to receive this support from the Culture Recovery Fund. As well as contributing to ongoing operating costs which would ordinarily have been met through income generated, a significant amount of this grant will be used to create a reserves fund, giving KARST financial security for the first time as we continue to grow.
The grant will also support fundraising generation which will be essential for KARST’s sustainability in the run-up to British Art Show 9 and beyond.”
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.