The Lowry will receive £3m lifeline from Government

The Salford theatre and gallery complex said the funding will help rebuild its programmes and create Covid-secure spaces.

It comes as part of the second set of grants from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England's £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund, amounting to almost £19m for eight major UK cultural organisations.

This hopes to make a "huge contribution" to England’s cultural life, providing theatre experiences for audiences and local communities.

Julia Fawcett, chief executive of The Lowry, described the cash as a "vital lifeline".

Ms Fawcett said: “Thank you to the Arts Council and the Government for the grant of £3m from the Cultural Recovery Fund. This fund has provided a vital lifeline to many arts organisations up and down the country and we are incredibly grateful for the support that it will provide to The Lowry.

"Since being forced to close our doors back in March we have done our best to continue to serve our audiences, support our staff and provide creative opportunities for artists and communities - all in the face of losing 93% (£12m) of our income and the very real threat of permanent closure.

"With this much-needed grant, we can begin the task of rebuilding our artistic and engagement programmes and continue to play our part in the cultural ecology in the North of England with confidence.

"We’ll use it to make our galleries, theatre auditoria, workshop studios and employee areas socially distant, COVID-19 secure spaces. We’ll programme work of the widest possible range of genres and commission artists to create new work for the new normal. We’ll also extend our work in the local community in Salford, ensuring some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens are supported through this crisis.

The money follow a first round of similar sized grants and two rounds of grants below £1m announced last month.

In the coming weeks, further announcements will be made on the Culture Recovery Fund, the Government said.

Ms Fawcett added: "Culture is an essential part of our fabric of life and the arts will play a key role as the nation recovers from the pandemic. Never before has the freedom to come together with friends, family and strangers to experience culture - in all its forms - been more important.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, said: “These grants will help the places that have shaped our skylines for hundreds of years and that continue to define culture in our towns and cities.

"From St Paul’s and Ronnie Scott’s to The Lowry and Durham Cathedral, we’re protecting heritage and culture in every corner of the country to save jobs and ensure it can bounce back strongly.”

Sarah Maxfield, area director North for Arts Council England said: “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. The cultural sector makes a huge contribution to The North’s economy, quality of life and communities.

"Today we are announcing much needed investment and support from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund to a group of organisations across the North - with more announcements in the coming weeks - providing an essential lifeline so the cultural sector can survive and come back strongly in the future.”