‘The show will go on’: North Norfolk arts venues celebrate £421,000 financial lifeline
The team at Sheringham Little Theatre celebrating outside the theatre after receiving a lifeline £76,000 culture recovery grant. Picture: Sheringham Little Theatre - Credit: Archant
Three north Norfolk arts venues, which have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, have been thrown a financial life line by the Government.
Cromer Pier remains closed to the public. Picture: Abigail Nicholson - Credit: Archant
Wells Maltings Trust, Openwide Coastal and Sheringham Little Theatre have collectively been given more than £421,000 from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
The fund is designed to secure the future of arts and culture venues and help them to plan for reopening.
In Cromer, Openwide Coastal, which manages Cromer Pier on behalf of North Norfolk District Council, has been given a grant of £250,000.
Rory Holburn, a director of the company, said the money would help the organisation which has not been able to open the theatre since lockdown was eased recoup some of its losses.
Simon Daykin, the new general manager of the Wells Maltings development. Photo: Wells Maltings - Credit: Archant
He said: “The Pier and Pavilion Theatre are also cornerstones of the local tourism economy so we are delighted that we will be able to also help provide a much needed boost next spring as all businesses attempt to recover from the damage the pandemic has done.
“This really will help the Cromer Pier Pavilion Theatre survive the next six months and assist as we try to re-build the business over the next few years with our partners at NNDC.”
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Across Norfolk, 21 organisations and venues have collectively received £3,125,421 worth of grants from the Cultural Recovery Fund.
Simon Daykin, director of Wells Maltings which has been given a grant of £75,000, said the centre, which opened in 2018, was “thrilled” with the grant.
The historic Cromer Pier. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
He said: “It’s a true lifeline in these stormy times, and allows us to keep on doing what we can to entertain, delight and support our audiences and community.
“We know how important entertainment and the arts in all their forms are to public wellbeing, and together with the huge generosity of our community through our recent Road to Recovery campaign, this much needed funding ensures that the show in Wells will go on.”
Debbie Thompson, the director of Sheringham Little Theatre, said the venue which has been given £76,644 was delighted by the grant.
She said: “This is fantastic news, and the team here are delighted after some worrying weeks.”
