The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport announced that more than 2,700 cultural and creative organisations were to receive a share of more than £400 million in grants and loans as part of a vital financial boost from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This includes more than £300 million, which has been awarded in grants through Arts Council England, Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. In East Sussex, the amount of £10,313,072 awarded through the Arts Council will support theatres, galleries, performance groups, arts organisations and local venues to reopen and recover. Of that, more than £5,847,000 has gone to Brighton and Hove. Among those was Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, which has been awarded £470,000. The registered arts charity received two grants to help the organisation recover and reopen over the next few months. Brighton Festival will benefit from £296,500 to ensure it can bring events back to audiences online, outdoors and safely back on stage with the re- opening of Brighton Dome Concert Hall this May. The region’s largest music education service which teaches thousands of school children and young people, received £174,000 for Brighton & Hove Music & Arts and East Sussex Music teachers to resume tuition in person with students. Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, said: “We’re delighted to receive this invaluable support in the week we announced that Brighton Festival will return safely back to the city in May. Since last year’s cancellation and with the continued closure of Brighton Dome, it’s been hard to imagine that we’d be able to look forward to this moment. “This funding will allow us to support our music services as students return to lessons in person and to present a Festival that works with local artists, community organisations and a range of creative professionals who are all committed to and excited about coming back. We are enormously proud to be in a city that believes in the value of the arts, both economically and socially, and to have such loyal audiences who we know want the arts to thrive and survive beyond the pandemic.” Brighton Festival 2021 takes place from May 1 to 31 and features 94 events, performances and installations, both as specially commissioned online projects, as livestreams and across multiple outdoor and indoor locations extending from Brighton to Worthing. A third of the events will be free to attend. Read our interview with the festival's chief executive here: https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/brighton-festival-why-unveiling-the-line-up-was-such-a-wonderful-feeling-3185546Brighton's Komedia, which usually holds more than 700 events annually across comedy, theatre, music and children's shows – including acts like The Artic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons and Eddie Izzard, was awarded £123,500. Funding will support the venue to develop a limited programme of live and socially distanced events between April and June, as well as expansion of its live-streamed events. Paul Musselwhite, managing director at Komedia, said: “Komedia are delighted and relieved to hear we have received some support from the Cultural Recovery Fund. Venues like us up and down the country have had the most difficult year and we still face a long road to recovery. This support will help us to return safely whilst providing a much needed cultural offering for our great city. Comedian Romesh Ranganathan added: “I’m absolutely delighted Komedia has got this funding. It means that it can continue to be the hub for both established comedy as well as nurturing new talent. This is great news for the area.” Brighton Fringe was also chosen to receive money from the fund and will use the £143,891 to cover the running costs of the much-loved arts festival, from April – June 2021. The money will allow Brighton Fringe to 'continue to showcase cutting edge, quirky and exciting performances, both online and in person, at a mix of indoor, outdoor and digital venues'. Julian Caddy, chief executive officer, Brighton Fringe said: "This grant gives our immediate future certainty after what has been an extremely challenging time for us and the arts as a whole. As lockdown eases and our world opens up again, we look forward to bringing you great shows and events of all kinds, whether indoors, outdoors or online – but always with safety in mind, for everyone involved. We are hugely relieved to have received this support which secures our financial viability and sets us up nicely to celebrate Brighton Fringe together." Brighton's Royal Pavilion and museums was awarded £370k from the fund. Read more here https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/brightons-royal-pavilion-and-museums-awarded-ps370k-from-government-fund-3187592Other organisations in Brighton and Hove to benefit from the fund included: 13 Artists Ltd £390,863 201 Dance Company £26,495 Andi Watson Design Ltd £91,690 ARA Productions Ltd £41,324 Brighton Dome & Festival Limited £470,500 Brighton Early Music Festival £50,346 Brighton Fringe Ltd £143,891 Brighton Marina Studios £35,435 Brighton Pride £264,370 C3 Productions £79,786 Concorde2 Limited £115,000 Creative Future Ltd £29,759 Culture24 £101,235 E3 Production Ltd £60,000 Extraordinary Expeditions Limited £251,470 Fabrica £62,157 Fat Poppadaddys Ltd £79,275 FMLY Agency Ltd £94,113 Ground Up Media Ltd £34,218 Hope & Ruin £10,637 Jamm Hot Ltd £150,000 Komedia Ltd £123,500 Latest Bars Ltd £49,259 Library Productions Ltd £26,000 Little Green Pig £28,162 Long Nose Puppets Ltd £15,400 LOOKOUT Brighton CIC £34,173 Lout Events Ltd £78,853 Marlborough Theatre Productions Ltd £38,000 Mckeown Events Ltd £92,644 Melanie Brown Impressive PR Limited £30,310 Murmuration Arts Production CIC £37,000 New Writing South £73,100 Nick Barnes Puppets £27,990 ONCA Trust Ltd £37,000 Ooosh Tours Ltd £29,347 Otherplace Productions Ltd £152,451 Paramount Artists Limited £286,747 Phoenix Brighton £57,780 Polly Barker Productions Ltd £25,167 Puppets with GUTS £27,222 Renegade Lighting Design £295,774 Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust £370,000 Select Security & Stewarding Ltd £156,316 Smart Power Ltd £90,606 Spymonkey £68,871 St James Events Ltd £54,715 The Albert Ltd £160,000 The Brighton and Hove Studio LTD £52,873 The Dream Engine International Ltd £89,894 The Old Market £179,888 The Pipeline £25,500 Vervacity Ltd £159,200 Volks Bar and Club £218,750 Whiskey Bravo Productions Ltd £46,000 Windmill Young Actors CIC £26,069 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." Hazel Edwards, South East area director at Arts Council England said: “Thanks to the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, we can offer extra support to the arts and cultural sector in the South East. From youth ballet to opera, theatre to grassroots music, the South East is brimming with cultural organisations that enrich the lives of local communities. This funding will make a real difference to these organisations as they get ready to welcome audiences and visitors again.”