Arts given £1.5bn rescue fund but ‘curtain will remain down’ for months to come
Britain's theatres, galleries and music venues will receive a £1.57 billion rescue package, which Boris Johnson said will help while their "doors remain closed and curtains remain down".
The Prime Minister described the arts as the "beating heart of this country" as he announced a package of grants amid warnings many venues could fold without urgent government support.
However, on Sunday night government sources said venues are unlikely to be allowed to open any time soon.
On Friday, Mr Johnson said he will this week set out a "timetable" for how businesses that remain shut may be allowed to reopen. The Telegraph understands that any roadmap set out for the arts will not include dates for potential reopening. One source close to the discussions said that, unlike restaurants, many arts venues will only be able to find it financially viable to reopen once social distancing ends altogether, and will not be able to function on lower capacity.
Mention of the arts in the planned timetable announcement is expected to be similar to the government's approach to live crowds at sporting events.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden will unveil a "world-leading" emergency support package for the arts, available to thousands of organisations including the performing arts and theatres, historic palaces, museums, galleries, live music venues and independent cinemas on Monday.
The £1.57 billion package will include £880m in grants and £270m in loans, and will cover the 2020-2021 tax year. The government on Sunday night said the money "will help them stay afloat while their doors are closed."
The announcement includes £100m of targeted support for the national cultural institutions in England and the English Heritage Trust. There will also be £120m in capital investment to restart work on cultural infrastructure and heritage construction which was paused because of the crisis.
The Prime Minister said ahead of Monday's funding announcement: "From iconic theatre and musicals, mesmerising exhibitions at our world-class galleries to gigs performed in local basement venues, the UK's cultural industry is the beating heart of this country.
"This money will help safeguard the sector for future generations, ensuring arts groups and venues across the UK can stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed and curtains remain down."
Ahead of the announcement the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said the venues that will be eligible for the grants employ more than 700,000 people and are "critical to keeping our economy thriving".
Oliver Dowden, Culture Secretary, said: "Our arts and culture are the soul of our nation. They make our country great, and are the lynchpin of our world-beating and fast growing creative industries."
Ministers previously played down calls for a support package for the arts, pointing to other measures the organisations had access to, from business rate holidays to the furlough scheme.
However, pressure has mounted for the Treasury to set aside specific money for the sector, which contributes more than £30bn a year to the economy.
Last week, The Royal Albert Hall's chief executive Craig Hassall said the iconic venue will go bankrupt by March 2021, the date of its 150th anniversary, if it does not receive urgent financial help
Mr Hassall told the i newspaper: "The Government support has been very oblique and vague. We have lobbied hard and consistently across the sector."
He added: "There is no guidance from Government on when we can open or how we can open. Without that it's impossible for us to trade."
On Sunday, Armando Iannucci, creator of The Thick of It, the satirical television show, said in a message to Mr Dowden: "Our Creative Industries helped us through this lockdown. Music, film, comedy, TV, streaming theatre, books, art: it helped get us through.
"They pour billions into the economy: they need financial support now, or they simply won't be there when lockdown is over."
Arts institutions including the Royal Opera House and Arts Council England welcomed the emergency funding package on Sunday night.
The government said it is finalising guidance for a phased return of the performing arts sectors, although this is not expected to include dates for planned reopening. Ministers are also expected to this week give details of next steps on how gyms may be able to reopen as part of its timetable for sectors that remain closed.
