Museums, theatres and concert halls will be given £410m lifeline to help them stay afloat

£410m lifeline for arts venues: Museums, theatres and concert halls will be given budget bailout to help them stay afloat until Covid restrictions are lifted

  • Theatres, museums and live music venues to be handed £410million lifeline
  • Rishi Sunak said the support was in recognition of the arts being a ‘significant driver of economic activity’
  • Mr Sunak will also unveil fresh support for sports and pubs which have suffered 

Theatres, museums and live music venues will be handed a £410million lifeline to help them stay afloat until they are allowed to reopen.

Rishi Sunak will unveil the move in today’s Budget alongside fresh support for sport and pubs, which have also suffered heavy restrictions during the lockdowns of the last year.

The move follows talks between the Chancellor and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, who last year secured a £1.57billion bailout for the industry. 

Most arts and cultural events, including theatres, museums and galleries, are expected to get the green light to reopen in May.

Theatres, museums and live music venues will be handed a £410million lifeline to help them stay afloat until they are allowed to reopen. Pictured: The closed Lyceum Theatre in the West End

But many may be unable to reopen their doors until Step Four of the roadmap from June 21 when the Government hopes to lift all social distancing restrictions that limit the size of audiences.

Mr Sunak said the support was in recognition of the fact that the arts are a ‘significant driver of economic activity’, employing more than 700,000 people across the UK.

Mr Dowden said: ‘It’s such a relief that we can look ahead now, so this funding is not just about survival but for planning and preparing for the reopening of theatres, galleries and gigs.’ 

Rishi Sunak will unveil the move in today's Budget alongside fresh support for sport and pubs, which have also suffered heavy restrictions during the lockdowns of the last year

Rishi Sunak will unveil the move in today’s Budget alongside fresh support for sport and pubs, which have also suffered heavy restrictions during the lockdowns of the last year

Tate director Maria Balshaw called the announcement a ‘vote of confidence’ in the country’s art organisation.

Mr Sunak is also expected to unveil a £300 million sports recovery package, with cricket expected to receive a ‘significant chunk’.

And the Chancellor will use the Budget to deliver a £150 million Community Ownership Fund to allow pub goers to bid for up to £250,000 to save their favourite local.

The fund, due to open for applications in the summer, is designed to help community groups to take over struggling pubs or other community assets in their area in order to keep them going.