Devon and Cornwall arts get £3.29m recovery boost

The Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple is one of two north Devon theatres receiving funding of nearly £700,000

Nearly £3.3m is being made available to arts organisations in Devon and Cornwall from the government.

Funding includes nearly £700,000 for theatres in Ilfracombe and Barnstaple and £320,000 for The Wyldes festival near Bude in Cornwall.

The recently opened Hall for Cornwall gets £85,000 and the Theatre Royal in Plymouth gets £700,000.

Adrian Vinken, the Theatre Royal's chief executive, said: "Without this support there would be no theatre."

The money has come from the latest instalment of the Arts Council's Culture Recovery Fund.

The Theatre Royal in Plymouth said government funding had ensured its survival in the pandemic

Mark Farnley, director of the Queen's and Landmark, said: "People are starting to come back. It was very slow until October but there seems to have been a build-up in confidence.

"The panto is happening and is selling really well."

Wyldes festival goers have rolled over their tickets to help the festival through the pandemic

Sam Dunnett of The Wyldes said: "We have been incredibly lucky with the ticket buying public rolling tickets over which has helped."

The organisations benefiting in Devon and Cornwall are:

• Exeter Cavern: £25,000

• Exeter Northcott Theatre: £122,722

• Exeter Phoenix: £95,000

• Kaleider Limited: £28,628

• Natatomisam Ltd: £318,000

• Summer Rep Season: £53,000

• Cornwall Theatre Company: £30,000

• Fish Factory Arts CIC: £35,000

• Golowan Festival Community Interest Company: £25,000

• Ilow HQ: £77,000

• Incandescence Production Company LTD: £37,219

• James Wilton Dance Limited: £49,800

• Sterts: £31,050

• The Hall For Cornwall Trust: £85,000

• The Wyldes: £320,521

• Gold Coast Oceanfest: £127,475

• North Devon Theatres (Queen's Theatre and Landmark Theatre): £697,500

• Plymouth City Council (The Box): £146,500

• Plymouth Music Zone Ltd: £62,688

• Theatre Royal (Plymouth) Ltd: £700,000

• Teignbridge Craft Festival: £34,500

• Torquay Museum £60,000

• Fairground Heritage Centre: £70,000

• Wren Music: £30,000

• Soundart Radio £30,000