The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report informing the Committee of the award of an Arts Council England (ACE) culture recovery fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s (NLHF) culture recovery fund for heritage, totalling £1.069m.

The report explained that in July 2020 the government had announced a £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) designed to safeguard cultural and heritage organisations across the UK from the economic impact of COVID-19. Portions of the funding were being distributed by Arts Council England for arts and culture, the British Film Institute for film and cinema and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, for heritage.  A bid for up to £80,500 had been submitted to the culture recovery fund for heritage to support the Abbey Quarter, and a bid for £989,374 had been submitted to the culture recovery fund to support The Hexagon, South Street and Reading Museum.

In October the council had been notified that it had been successful with both bids and awarded the full amount requested. Arts Council England had given the council two weeks within which to accept the grant and having sought legal advice officers had accepted the ACE grant on behalf of the council.  The National Lottery Heritage Grant had provided their final terms and conditions of the grant in December and having sought legal advice the grant had been accepted by officers, again due to the limited time frame.

Resolved –

(1)      That grant funding of £989,374 from the Arts Council England’s culture recovery fund be accepted and the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Culture, Heritage & Recreation, be authorised to allocate the funding to support The Hexagon, South Street and Reading Museum to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19 on those venues;

(2)      That grant funding of up to £80,500 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s culture recovery fund be accepted and the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Culture, Heritage & Recreation, be authorised to allocate the funding to support activities within Reading Abbey Quarter to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19;

(3)      That, subject to satisfactory terms and conditions being published by Arts Council England, the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services be authorised to apply for grant funding from the second round of Arts Council England’s culture recovery fund to support eligible cultural services transition back to a viable and sustainable operating model during April-June 2021.