Welsh govt announces £15.4m in funding to help arts and culture sector

Arts and culture charities in Wales are being urged to apply for £15.4m in funding from the Welsh government

Deputy minister for arts and sport Dawn Bowden has announced the funding this week as part of the third round of the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund, which is aimed at supporting the arts and culture to recover from the Covid pandemic.

The fund is aimed at organisations impacted by lockdown and measures to keep the spread of the omicron variant of Covid under control.

Organisations that have been directly impacted by Covid measures between December 2021 and February 2022 are urged to apply.

“We are fully aware that these impacted sectors continue to face new pressures, which is why we’ve been working with the Arts Council to make this additional funding available as soon as possible,” said Bowden.

“The innovation and resilience which has been demonstrated by the people and organisations which make these sectors so vibrant has been remarkable – we want to ensure that the sector continues to play a part in our recovery from the pandemic and in bringing people together once more.”

Arts Council for Wales is handling applications. The closing date is 26 January.

📢Culture Recovery Fund 3 has opened.

The @WelshGovernment is making £15.4m available to support the arts and cultural sector in Wales during the ongoing #Covid19 pandemic. More details and fund guidelines available ➡️ https://t.co/NLDJrjrKIf @WG_Culture pic.twitter.com/KG6t1Xlaq4
— Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru | Arts Council of Wales (@Arts_Wales_) January 12, 2022

“Working alongside colleagues in Welsh Government, we are determined to ensure that arts and cultural organisations who play a key role in the wellbeing of communities across Wales will be able to bring solace, delight and vision as we struggle with the pandemic and as we recover and rebuild,” said Arts Council for Wales chair Phil George.

“The need for this support has obviously become even more urgent as a result of the impact of the Omicron variant.”

The £15.4m funding includes £5.25, which had previously been announced through the Welsh government’s Winter Stability Fund. This has been merged into the Cultural Recovery Fund to align the funding on offer, says the Welsh government.