Nearly £5m handed out to Northampton cultural organisations by government to help with covid recovery

Nearly £5 million has been handed out to cultural organisations in Northampton by the government to help them recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Grant recipients in the second round of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund were announced last week following the first tranche in August and October.

In Northampton, the average total award handed out is £246,890.30, higher than the national average of £172,303.19, according to analysis by the JPIMedia Data Unit, which the Chronicle & Echo is part of.

The funding per head works out as £21.98, again higher than the English average of £11.24 and the 32nd highest in the country.

Warts and All Theatre, which is based in Northampton and works in Northamptonshire and Coventry, received a grant of £27,000 in the latest round, having had £98,009 in the first tranche.

Artistic director Christopher Elmer-Gorry said: “This recovery funding is essential for us to continue co-creating extraordinary theatre with children and young people.

"It has been a really challenging year for the arts and culture sector, but Warts and All Theatre, with the support of audiences, participants, funders and the government, has been able to continue to deliver the majority of our work over the last year."

The majority of the cash in Northampton has gone to theatres who have been unable to open properly due to the pandemic, with £2,674,121.

That is ahead of £986,495 to music venues, £288,000 to 'combined arts' and £186,958 to visual arts - the rest did not specify a discipline.

Nothing has been given to specific dance, literature or film organisations nor museums and libraries in the town.

Northampton Theatres Trust, which runs the Royal and Derngate, Northampton Filmhouse and The Core at Corby Cube, has been given the most money in the town, at £2,548,125 in total.

Mr Elmer-Gorry said the last 12 months have been tough for them but the cash will enable the team to return to in-person sessions and plan for the future.

"The whole Warts and All team have worked tirelessly throughout to continue to provide cultural opportunities," he added.

"This funding for us, is as much about recognition of their continued hard work, and the possibility that we can continue to provide opportunities for everyone in a pandemic. It also allows us to bridge the gap in a period of continued uncertainty.

"We look forward to reaching the final stages of the roadmap, so we can roll out the ambitious and exciting plans we have in place with our partners and communities.”