Lifeline grants from government’s Culture Recovery Fund thrown to culture and arts in and around Newark

Lifeline grants totalling more than £600,000 have been made to support arts and culture in and around Newark.

The money is from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund, administered by the Arts Council.

Its aim is to support organisations of particular significance in their field or area, who are at financial risk due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The biggest award in the Newark area ­— £250,000 ­— has gone to Steve Steinman Productions.

The South Muskham company specialises in touring, producing, directing, promoting and starring in shows at venues through the UK.

With more than 30 years in the business, his most well-known productions include Vampires Rock, Anything For Love, and Love Hurts.

The second-largest award in the area went to Liz Hobbs Group, based in Newark, which received £150,000.

The company has more than 20 years of experience in event production, event management, stage and lighting design and organising tours, working with some of the biggest names in the music industry.

It is behind the annual Newark Festival, which was among this year’s coronavirus casualties.

Chief executive Liz Doogan-Hobbs said: “We are extremely relieved and grateful to receive the news of this award.

“The music industry is facing an enormous challenge to survive this crisis and we are extremely grateful to Arts Council England for recognising the role we play in maintaining England’s cultural ecology.”

The Palace Theatre Newark, National Civil War Centre and Newark Castle jointly received £95,000 from the fund.

The heritage and culture team at Newark and Sherwood District Council entered the bid to ensure the continued delivery of culture in the district, while operating under the current restrictions.

Business manager for heritage and culture Carys Coulton-Jones said: “We are thrilled to have been successful in our bid to the Arts Council England.

“The funding will allow us to explore new opportunities for providing access to heritage and culture across our three sites.

“The whole team believes strongly in the power and importance of arts and culture for the community and receiving this grant will support us as we continue to deliver these life enhancing experiences”.

The National Holocaust Centre and Museum at Laxton received £75,000. It said it was delighted to have received funding.

“This vital support will allow us to continue to provide Holocaust education and equip upstanders against hate.”

A grant of more than £52,000 has been made to Illumaphonium, run by husband-and-wife artistic team Michael Davis and Gemma Mills.

The couple’s workshop is in Southwell, where they create large-scale, interactive, multi-sensory installations that they take to events in the UK and overseas.

Gemma said all their bookings had been cancelled because of covid-19.

She said the money would allow them to continue to adapt their creations to be enjoyed in new ways.

The grants announced on Monday are the first tranche in a series. They were all for applications of less than £1m.

The Arts Council has so far made 96 grants to East Midlands organisations, totalling more than £17m. More funding is set to be announced over the coming weeks.