The Stables received Capital Kickstart grant

The Stables has been awarded a Capital Kickstart grant of £141,392 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund enabling the organisation to push forward with the mini-refurbishment programme despite the financial challenge caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

The Stables is one of 74 organisations receiving grants totalling £58.9 million today. The Capital Kickstart grants programme helps organisations cover costs added to capital projects such as building works, refurbishments, and large-scale equipment purchases by pandemic-related delays or fundraising shortfalls.

The Stables is marking its 50th anniversary this year and had embarked on a series of improvements to its facilities to reduce its environmental impact and improve access for artists and audiences but works ground to a halt when the organisation was forced to shut due to COVID-19 back in March.

Today DCMS also announces that £165 million from the Culture Recovery Fund has been offered in repayable loans to help 11 major cultural organisations survive the loss of income caused by the crisis. This follows previous rounds of the Culture Recovery Fund, including the Grants programme which distributed £428 million to over 2,000 cultural organisations across the country, and the £3.36 million Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund.

Monica Ferguson, Chief Executive & Artistic Director said: “We are extremely grateful to receive an award to continue with our capital project, which was put on hold due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. The funding will help us to complete a mini refurbishment of our facilities, improving access, safety and comfort for visiting artists and audiences.”

Honorary Patron of The Stables Dame Evelyn Glennie, CH, said: “It is welcome news to hear that The Stables has received a Kickstart Capital award and that the planned refurbishment programme will go ahead. It is so important to invest in adaptations that enable arts venues to provide good accessibility for audiences and artists and the Arts Council support provides confidence that capital projects put on hold because of the pandemic can be completed.”

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “This government promised it would be here for culture and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word. The £1 billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications. Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture – so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England said “Today’s announcement is another vital step in securing the future of England’s cultural sector. Supporting capital projects will help to ensure that we maintain an innovative, sustainable cultural infrastructure that supports world class creative work, while the loans announced today will enable some of our largest and most prestigious cultural organisations to weather the effects of Covid-19 and reopen when it is safe to do so. The Arts Council is grateful to the Government for their support through the Culture Recovery Fund, and we are proud to support all the organisations receiving funding today.”