Warwick Arts Centre receives £1.9m Capital Kickstart grant from Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

Warwick Arts CentreWarwick Arts Centre has been awarded a £1.9m Capital Kickstart grant as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund enabling the organisation to push forward with the completion of the renovation of the arts centre despite the financial challenge caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

Located on the University of Warwick’s Coventry campus, Warwick Arts Centre is one of 74 organisations receiving grants totalling £58.9 million today. The Capital Kickstart grants programme helps organisations cover costs added to capital projects such as building works, refurbishments, and large-scale equipment purchases by pandemic-related delays or fundraising shortfalls.

Warwick Arts Centre is one of the largest multi-artform venues in the UK, delivering an engaging, diverse programme of performing and visual arts, presented in world-class venues and spaces at the heart of the West Midlands.

Since opening in 1974, the Warwick Arts Centre has been a distinctive and special place, and an important resource for the arts and for audiences in the region – as well as being a significant force in national and international arts networks. In 2021 the centre will be a key venue at the heart of Coventry’s time as UK City of Culture.

Director of the Warwick Arts Centre, Doreen Foster, said “As we look forward to our home city’s time as the UK’s City of Culture, I’m delighted to welcome the support of the Art’s Council’s Cultural Capital Kickstart Fund to Warwick Arts Centre.

“Their generous support will enable us to complete the redevelopment and renovation of our arts centre by improving our digital capabilities as well as the development of our new café and restaurant, which will create new jobs for our region and create a vibrant dining and meeting place for all.

“The support we have received from Arts Council England demonstrates its commitment to Warwick Arts Centre and our place in the cultural life of Coventry and our region. I wish to thank them, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, for all they have done to ensure we have so much to look forward to in 2021 and I cannot wait to welcome back our audiences and visitors to enjoy and experience all that we have to offer.”

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:

“This government promised it would be here for culture and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word.

“The £1 billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications.

“Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture – so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England said “Today’s announcement is another vital step in securing the future of England’s cultural sector. Supporting capital projects will help to ensure that we maintain an innovative, sustainable cultural infrastructure that supports world class creative work, while the loans announced today will enable some of our largest and most prestigious cultural organisations to weather the effects of Covid-19 and reopen when it is safe to do so. The Arts Council is grateful to the Government for their support through the Culture Recovery Fund, and we are proud to support all the organisations receiving funding today.”

Today DCMS also announces that £165 million from the Culture Recovery Fund has been offered in repayable loans to help 11 major cultural organisations survive the loss of income caused by the crisis. This follows previous rounds of the Culture Recovery Fund, including the Grants programme which distributed £428 million to over 2,000 cultural organisations across the country, and the £3.36 million Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund.