Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life has received a grant of £32,000 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Tiverton Museum in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

Tiverton Museum has been collecting and sharing the heritage of Mid Devon for 61 years. The museum welcomes a high number of visitors from the local community, including many families who enjoy the museum’s holiday activities. The museum also offers an important learning service for local schools, and (before Covid-19) ran a successful reminiscence service for local care and residential homes.

Temporary closure has meant that the museum has been unable to generate the income it relies on to operate. This funding provides a lifeline for the museum as it prepares to re-open and will enable the museum to continue to share local heritage and stories.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:

“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

Pippa Griffith, Director of Tiverton Museum, said:

“Tiverton Museum has been closed for 9 months in the past year due to the pandemic, and will be closed until late May. This has had a catastrophic effect on our income, which alongside the fact that we have limited cash reserves, has created an extreme challenge for us to meet. This second Culture Recovery Fund grant is essential to our ongoing survival; allowing us to plan for re-opening and to rebuild our services for our local community.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said:

“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work. 

 We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.