Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Paragraph: 14
With only 8% of festivals applying for the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund,...
Conclusion
With only 8% of festivals applying for the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, and those that were successful receiving just 1.3% of the available grants, the Government’s flagship investment in the arts was of limited benefit to the festival sector as a whole. This was in part due to the needs, resources and management structures of festivals, many of which were not used to applying for public funding. However, it also reveals that there are lessons for Arts Council England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to learn about how they engage with, and meet the needs of, this important part of our creative industries.
Paragraph Reference:
14
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Government recognises the significant challenges that the pandemic has created for the festivals sector, and our support to the industry has been unwavering throughout. Throughout the pandemic, the Government has put in place one of the world’s most comprehensive economic responses, backed by over £280 billion for the financial year 2020-21, to protect jobs, businesses, and public services. We have supported the festival sector through generous employment schemes, grants, loans, a reduction in VAT and business rate relief. We know the move to Step 4 will have come as welcome news to the festivals sector but we also recognise that many organisations are still in need of emergency support. This is why we announced details of the final £300 million of the Government’s £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) in late June. So far, more than £200 million has been awarded from the CRF to over 800 individual organisations describing themselves as ‘music’, with more than £21 million having been awarded to music festivals specifically.