Northern Ireland is going to receive £33 million from the UK government as part of a support package for the arts, which has probably come in the nick of time for many theatres, galleries, museums and music venues in the country.
Support Package Could Save Many Venues From Closure
The Arts Council for Northern Ireland has been quoted as being “delighted” with this support package which will certainly save a great many venues and jobs.
Some people may think that art and culture is one thing we can maybe manage without for a while as we fight the coronavirus pandemic, but they couldn`t be further from the truth. The arts is one of the great success stories of the UK where we are world renowned for our music, plays, theatres and so much more, and it plays a key role in our economy. It creates thousands of jobs and of course the success of an event is passed around in any town or city it is brought to, as hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants and taxi drivers etc all get the benefit of an influx of people out on the town.
Arts & Cultural Sectors Getting Lifeline Support
In an article on the BBC News website The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is quoted as saying:
“We are delighted that the arts and cultural sectors in Northern Ireland are to get lifeline support,” it said.
“It signals just how important the arts are to our economy, to our society and to our mental health and wellbeing.
“We look forward to hearing the detail of this funding with anticipation.”
The chair of Westminster’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee Julian Knight said the funding was a welcome “first step” but more was needed to secure the future of many cultural venues.
“We know that one metre social distancing doesn’t work economically for most theatres and venues in the UK,” he said.
“We ultimately need to have a means by which these organisations can open safely and gain the confidence of the public.”
A Huge Step In The Right Direction
Even with the aforementioned support package it could prove difficult for many venues remain a going concern. The issue of social distancing is not going to go away any time soon and this seriously impacts on the amount of paying customers they can have on their premises at any one time. But at least this is a very much needed step in the right direction.
If you would like to know more details about this support package and how to access any funding that may be available, or if you are in any other sector of industry and you want to access the funding on offer but don`t know where to start, contact us here at WHR Accountants on 028 3752 2909 and we can help and advise you.
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