Philharmonia Orchestra to receive £440,686 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

• Philharmonia among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund
• This award will support the Orchestra to continue its acclaimed digital content programme and plan new concert activity

The Philharmonia Orchestra has received a grant of £440,686 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including the Philharmonia in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

The Philharmonia will use this award to support its player members to deliver new digital and socially-distanced live concerts, and to continue its learning and engagement programme in its residency locations.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

Philharmonia Chief Executive Alexander Van Ingen said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded funding from the Culture Recovery Fund, which will allow us to continue our sector-leading digital work, deliver the excellent concerts for which we are known, and to respond robustly to the challenges of Coronavirus as we prepare to welcome our inspirational new Principal Conductor, Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

Thank you to the UK Government for championing the arts at this critical time; we, and our audiences right across the UK are grateful for the support, and look forward to being back together in concert halls very soon.”

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.