Watersmeet theatre in Rickmansworth will reopen after being awarded £175,000 as part of the government’s £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF).
The venue, which is owned and run by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC), is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and ensure they have a sustainable future.
£257million of investment was announced on October 12 by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP in the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England.
Welcoming the announcement, councillor Chris Lloyd, lead member for leisure at TRDC, said: “I welcome this grant as it will mean Watersmeet can re-open and will ensure continued access to the arts for our most vulnerable communities during COVID-19. It will also enable us to put on live arts events with smaller audiences to meet all the social distancing requirements.”
Josh Sills, Watersmeet venue manager, commented: “I’d like to thank Oliver Dowden MP for awarding this funding to our theatre. This money will allow us to continue to be the cultural hub of the district.
“Watersmeet plays a vital and significant role especially for the underprivileged areas, in introducing young people to theatre and is often the place where they will experience their first live performance. This funding will allow us to reopen to the community with live shows very soon.”
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