#HereForCulture
Brixton House has been awarded a £1,215,152 Capital Kickstart grant as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, enabling us to push forward with construction on our new venue, despite the financial challenge caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
Brixton House is one of 74 organisations receiving grants today, totalling £58.9 million. The Capital Kickstart grants programme helps organisations cover costs added to capital projects such as building works, refurbishments, and large-scale equipment purchases by pandemic-related delays or fundraising shortfalls. We are still busy fundraising but this will help us on the way to a grand opening later in 2021. For more detail about how you can support us, please visit our donations page.
Gbolahan Obisesan, Brixton House’s Artistic Director and joint CEO, shared a video message to thank funders:
Video description: Gbolahan Obisesan, a Black man with a beard and glasses, stands on a walkway above a theatre which is under construction. He wears a hard hat and high vis jacket and speaks directly to the camera, occasionally gesturing down at the site.
Transcript:
Hello, my name is Gbolahan Obisesan. I’m Artistic Director and joint CEO of Brixton House, formerly Ovalhouse. Welcome to the construction site of our new building here on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton.As we know 2020 has been an extremely challenging and difficult year for all of us, which has meant that we’ve had to close longer than expected. But we do feel that it’s important to let you know of recent developments and we have been fortunate enough to receive funding through the Cultural Capital Kickstarter fund. This funding will allow us to get the Brixton House project back on track after the increased cost and delays brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
We’d like to say thank you to DCMS and Arts Council England for this vital, amazing support.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:
“This government promised it would be here for culture and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word. The £1 billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications. Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture – so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.”
Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said:
“Today’s announcement is another vital step in securing the future of England’s cultural sector. Supporting capital projects will help to ensure that we maintain an innovative, sustainable cultural infrastructure that supports world class creative work, while the loans announced today will enable some of our largest and most prestigious cultural organisations to weather the effects of Covid-19 and reopen when it is safe to do so. The Arts Council is grateful to the Government for their support through the Culture Recovery Fund, and we are proud to support all the organisations receiving funding today.”