We are delighted to announce that we have been nominated to receive a £25,000 life line as part of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.
This emergency funding will enable us to:
- Recoup against financial loss from this year’s festival, which, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, forwent all live events
- Future proof against the on-going climate by finding new ways to develop the Festival with online content
This is a great time for Gloucester as three other heritage organisations, as well as us, received financial support from the same fund, totalling almost £300,000.
We wanted so very much to be able to offer live events this year, but at the eleventh hour that the decision was made to digitalise all events. Although this opened many doors of opportunity, and we engaged with more people online than ever before, the financial situation has been an on-going concern, as it has with many arts, cultural and heritage organisations nation wide.
With social distancing conditions remaining in place, we plan to use a proportion of the funding to futureproof ourselves against ongoing restrictions by learning from this pilot year of digital activity, using that learning to guide future festival plans.
“We are so relieved Although we were thrilled to be able to offer the Festival online this year, we lost a massive line of income from ticket sales because we were not able to hold any live events. Its been a massive concern”
Jacqui Grange, Festival Producer
The support that our audiences and subscribers have given us through individual donations has been so gratefully received, and we thank each and every person who has contributed in this way. However, we are still in the position where we rely very heavily on this support fund, if the future of the festival were not to be in jeopardy, and this much needed funding gives us the lifeline that we need to journey into 2021 slightly more confidently.
This vital funding is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund – funded by Government and administered at arms length by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Both funds are part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund which is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.
