Following the Government’s announcement of a £1.57bn support package for the cultural sector, Gavin Barlow and Annabel Turpin, co-chairs of Future Arts Centres, commented:

“We have consistently argued for support for the arts during and after the pandemic crisis, and like thousands across the UK, we feel a sense of relief at the government’s announcement of a package worth more than one billion pounds to be distributed across the sector.

“We hope that the government will look to not just fund institutions, but to provide support in the immediate and medium term for thousands of individual culture workers across the UK, using grassroots venues to channel vital funding to the people and projects that need it most.

“We believe tax incentives via the Theatre Tax Relief programme will help many venues to start looking to the future with confidence.”

“We also continue to call on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to put culture sector training and apprenticeships in the very heart of his plans for a post-Covid recovery. With the right support, the UK’s world class arts industry can provide meaningful and sustainable employment for generations to come.”