Arts Venues Across the U.K. to Receive Government Funding from £1.57 Billion Emergency Support Package

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has theaters shut down across the world. While many theater makers are exploring creative solutions, in the form of socially distant productions or extensive testing of possible health and safety procedures, the financial ramifications of the crisis are being felt by those who work in the entertainment industry. The BBC is reporting that a £1.57 billion emergency support package to help protect the future of theaters, galleries and museums across the United Kingdom is now on the way.

The package is composed of both grants and repayable loans, though it has not been specified how the funds will be divided. In addition to theaters, independent cinemas, heritage sites and live music venues will also be eligible for support. The funding follows several weeks of pressure from arts organizations, including the Society of London Theatre.

As previously reported, West End theaters remain closed, and Shakespeare's Globe and other venues are facing permanent closure without government funding. According to producer Cameron Mackintosh, his producing partners and Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, London productions of Hamilton, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Mary Poppins will continue to be delayed through 2021 or "as early as practical."