Extra £30m to be given to English theatres

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a further £30million will be provided to arts institutions and organisations in England hit by the pandemic.

The extra money will be distributed via the Cultural Recovery Fund, in line with previous funds, with applicants able to apply through to March next year.

This process has drawn criticism as it does not provide a direct channel for those in the freelance community (a backbone of the arts industry), a large portion of whom are out of work or forced to isolate due to Covid.

What is perhaps more promising for employers, though not freelancers, is that the government will also cover the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences for small and medium-sized employers (with under 250 employees) across the UK.

Meanwhile, £1bn will be provided to the hospitality industry with venues offered one-off grants of up to £6,000 each to help to mitigate the impact of new restrictions.

Further details will be revealed as they come in.

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