W. Moorcroft are among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
More than £300 million has been awarded to more than 2,700 cultural organisations across the country including Moorcroft in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.
Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead. Moorcroft are delighted that the Moorcroft Heritage Visitor Centre and Museum will reopen on Wednesday 14th April and guided factory tours will recommence in late summer, when visitors from around the world will be able to see Moorcroft come to life before their eyes, as they see all the stages in the handcrafting process, one after another, on an highly informative and entertaining factory tour.
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:
“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced.
Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead."
Managing Director and Director of Art, Elise Adams said:
“Moorcroft are delighted to receive the continued support of Arts Council England which enables us to continue to lead Stoke-on-Trent’s vibrant visual arts sector. This vital funding ensures our historic fine art pottery company will continue its cultural programme of events throughout the UK and also supports our long-term survival through the pandemic in which we all find ourselves.
“We greatly look forward to safely welcoming visitors from around the world back into our Heritage Visitor Centre & Museum when it reopens on Wednesday 14th April. Our guided tours will recommence in late summer, when we will be able to once again proudly showcase how a piece of Moorcroft fine art pottery is made by hand, just as each piece has been for over 124 years. In the meantime, we will be expanding our cultural activity programme with current partners the NSPCC, RSPB and Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), and working with new partnerships including Tusk, whose Royal Patron is HRH Duke of Cambridge.”
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said:
“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.
We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”
Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said:
“We’re pleased to be investing in Moorcroft through the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. This funding will offer this highly-acclaimed pottery centre the opportunity to plan for the future and prepare for reopening in the coming months. From showcasing the history of the craft at the heritage centre to creating new, world-renowned ceramics, Moorcroft continues to make a huge contribution to the cultural scene in Stoke-on-Trent.
“The Government’s package is hugely welcome, providing much of the sector with resources to reopen safely. Building upon investment made in the first round of Recovery funding, we’re pleased to see that many more well-loved community projects, theatres, galleries, museums, clubs, music venues, festivals, key cultural suppliers along with other creative spaces and projects have benefited, and their communities will feel a boost as a result. Now that we’re hopefully on the road to recovery, there is much to look forward to as organisations get ready to reopen their doors, welcoming back audiences and making plans for the future.”
The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.