Sunderland, Hexham and Newcastle arts organisations win Covid grants

Sunderland MAC Trust's new Fire Station Auditorium was already being built when the pandemic hit

North East arts organisations say they are "grateful" for the latest round of emergency culture grants.

Just under £1.5m has been allocated to capital projects in the region from the government's Culture Recovery Fund.

Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture (MAC) Trust will receive £1,380,100, Newcastle's Live Theatre gets £85,911 and Hexham's Queen's Hall has £30,651.

Sunderland MAC Trust's chairman Paul Callaghan said it was a "very significant" grant.

"The construction of the Fire Station Auditorium was already well under way when the Covid-19 pandemic happened and the trust and our team have had to cope with the major challenges that resulted as a consequence," he said.

"The trust is extremely grateful to the Department of Culture Media and Sport and to Arts Council England for this continued generous support."

Newcastle's Live Theatre is to get £85,911

The Capital Kickstart grants are aimed at helping organisations cover additional costs caused by the pandemic, such as paying for building work.

The recovery fund has already allocated more than £1bn, with £428m given in grants and £3.36m to grassroots music venues. More is due to be allocated through a second round of applications.

Regional Arts Council England director Sarah Maxfield said the cultural sector made "a huge contribution to the North's economy and the quality of life of its communities".

"The pandemic has had a massive impact on the whole range of organisations working in the North's cultural sector - theatres, music venues, festivals, museums and the companies who support them with technical sound, light and staging services," she said.

The Queen's Hall is getting read for its online Christmas show