Council launches Covid-19 support fund for Wigan artists

Applicants from across the borough can put in for grants of between £500 and £1,500 to help them while they explore other ways of supporting themselves financially.

The application window opens on Friday July 10 and closes on Friday July 31.

.Coun Chris Ready, cabinet member for communities and culture at Wigan Council, said: “Over the last couple of years, we have worked tirelessly with the cultural industry to evolve Wigan borough’s cultural offer.

“Together, we created an inspiring manifesto to engage more people in the arts. Despite these uncertain times, we remain committed to building on these successes.

"Covid-19 has had a severe impact on our cultural sector but we understand the invaluable contribution this industry has on the wellbeing of our residents, which is why we decided to set up this fund.”

The money will be distributed as a lump sum and the council hopes it will support freelancers over the next six months.

Applicants must describe how Covid-19 has impacted them financially, such as having work cancelled due to the pandemic.

They must also explain how the funding would help them to contribute to the council’s cultural manifesto, The Fire Within, in the future.

The local authority funding pot comes the same week that central government announced £1.57bn for the national cultural industry.

Reaction in the borough suggested the support package for the sector was welcome but it was made clear the funding will not save arts and culture alone, with particular concern over how much money areas like Wigan will end up with compared to large London-based institutions.

Coun Ready said: “We welcome the package from government, but we still do not know how much money our borough will receive, or how we can access the funds.

“It was important to us that we help our cultural freelancers who have found it difficult to access support during the crisis. Our pot is ready now and will be open for applications from tomorrow.

“We understand there will be a high demand for this money and we need to be clear that although we can only support a portion of the applications we receive, we remain committed to working with our cultural partners to ensure they are aware of all the support opportunities available to them.”

Applicants will be informed of the decision around two weeks after submitting their application.

The applications will be reviewed by the council’s cultural service team with recommendations made to Coun Ready and the director of customer and cultural services.

To apply, visit www.thefirewithin.org.uk from Friday July 10.