The Mary Rose in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard has received a £327,652 (~US$450,282) grant from the British government to help the Trust that maintains the old ship recover from the pandemic and to reopen in line with government guidelines.
More than £300 million (~$412 milion) has been awarded to thousands of cultural organizations across the country including the Mary Rose in the latest round of support from the U.K. Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced earlier this month.
Over £800 million (~$1.1 billion) in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organizations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The second round of awards made this month help organizations, such as the Mary Rose, to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organizations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.
According to Dominic Jones, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust:
“The award from the Culture Recovery Fund, delivered through Arts Council England, is a vital lifeline for the Mary Rose and will assist with the vast costs of keeping the ship and unique collection safe and on display for future generations. Like many cultural and heritage organizations across the country the Mary Rose continues to be severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, but we cannot wait to reopen our world-class Museum in line with the Government’s roadmap and when it is safe to do so. We remain enormously grateful to the Government for their continuing support and recognition as a cultural gem.”
(Image credit: Hufton + Crow)
