Photo taken on July 7, 2020 shows a notice of closure outside the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain. Britain's arts, culture and heritage industries will receive a 1.57-billion-pound (1.96-billion-U.S. dollar) rescue package to help weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the government has announced. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)
LONDON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Britain's arts, culture and heritage industries will receive a 1.57-billion-pound (1.96-billion-U.S. dollar) rescue package to help weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the government has announced.
Thousands of organisations across a range of sectors including the performing arts and theaters, heritage, historic palaces, museums, galleries, live music and independent cinema will be able to access the emergency grants and loans, said the government in a statement published Sunday.
This unprecedented package includes 1.15 billion pounds (1.43 billion dollars) for cultural organisations in England, made up of 270 million pounds (337 million dollars) of repayable finance and 880 million pounds (1,099 million dollars) grants.
There will also be 120 million pounds (150 million dollars) to restart construction on cultural infrastructure and for heritage construction projects in England that were paused due to the pandemic.
Funding will also go to the devolved administrations, including 33 million pounds (41 million dollars) to Northern Ireland, 97 million (121 million dollars) to Scotland and 59 million (73 million dollars) to Wales.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the money will help safeguard the sector, which employs more than 700,000 people, for future generations. Enditem
