WHEAL Martyn is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The award will help Wheal Martyn address the financial challenges arising from the latest lockdown and ensure it is ready to welcome the local community and visitors safely back, and plan exciting new opportunities and experiences for people to enjoy as we emerge from lockdown and beyond.

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

Wheal Martyn preserves and makes accessible the heritage of Cornwall’s china clay industry, which shaped the landscape and lives of people in Cornwall. As Cornwall, St Austell and the clay area continue to evolve, Wheal Martyn has a crucial role to play in inspiring future generations in the context of this important industry, helping to build a sense of place and providing opportunities for everyone to learn, get creative, develop skills and enhance their wellbeing. This grant will enable this to continue, making sure Wheal Martyn is in a strong position for its communities in the future.

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 last week 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.”

Director of Wheal Martyn, Colin Vallance, said:

“We are thrilled to have received funding from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund so that we can continue to be here for our communities and work to realise the ambitious plans we developed ahead of the pandemic.

“We look forward to welcoming people back through our doors shortly and continuing our work helping to make a positive contribution to people’s lives and the prosperity of St. Austell and the surrounding areas into the future”

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 re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and 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 last week is from a £400 million pot that 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.

To find out more about Wheal Martyn and its plans for reopening, please visit: www.wheal-martyn.com or follow the museum on social media.