- Live Music Now to receive £168,653 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund
- This award will support the organisation’s Return to Live for its essential freelance musician’s workforce and underpin an ambitious growth strategy through significant investments in staff and musician’s training, external consultancy services, and continued commitment to equality and diversity.
Live Music Now has received a grant of £168,653 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and return to live.
Live Music Now uses the power of live music to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups through engaging in joyful, interactive sessions with talented musicians. Currently the charity reaches over 85,000 people annually, bringing meaningful high-quality live music experiences to those for whom would otherwise have limited access.
Following a significant organisational shift to online delivery during the global pandemic, the organisation has an ambitious new strategy to significantly expand its reach to support even more people through its new online resources in addition to providing in-person music experiences.
These vital funds will support the organisation to deliver this new strategy through investment staff and external consultancy services, development and training for its large pool of freelance musicians, and embedding an organisation-wide equality and diversity action plan.
More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Live Music Now in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.
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.
Janet Fischer, Live Music Now CEO, said:
“This injection of Culture Recovery funding has reached Live Music Now at a critical moment. The last year has been an incredibly difficult time for the arts and charity sectors, but even more so for the people we support through our work.
These funds will act as a vital springboard in securing the future of Live Music Now as a national voice for change and will be instrumental to ensuring that more people have access to our work.
As one of the UK’s largest employers of freelance musicians, we are delighted to be returning to live performance with our musicians who have had an exceedingly difficult year. We will be investing heavily in training and development support for our musicians to ensure that they are supported to continue to create deeply meaningful experiences for participants, and well-prepared for the transition back to in-person performances.”
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.
Notes to Editors
Live Music Now
- Live Music Now inspires and empowers emerging musicians to use their talents to meaningfully enhance the health and wellbeing of vulnerable groups
- Our world-class training equips gifted musicians with the tools and specialist understanding to deliver sessions that engage and connect with older people in care and children and young people with additional needs
- We reach over 85,000 people per year, bringing meaningful high-quality live music experiences to those for whom would otherwise have limited access
- LMN’s unique programmes not only bring joy and provide relief to participants and their families, but also improve communication and strengthen relationships, creating a positive knock-on effect within the wider community
- We recognise the transformative power of music in promoting well-being. We champion our musicians to affect positive change and make genuine contributions to a happier, healthier, more resilient society
- Our dedicated musicians bring moments that matter to those who are most in need of the transformative benefits of live music
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk
Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of the bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19.
At the Budget, the Chancellor announced the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund would be boosted with a further £300 million investment. Details of this third round of funding will be announced soon.
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