Our response to the Government's announcement of financial support for the arts

  We welcome the UK Government’s £1.57 billion investment package to protect the nation’s world-class cultural, arts and heritage institutions

4 minute read

Since our closure on Wednesday 18 March, we, alongside many institutions and individuals in the arts and culture sector, have been working with and lobbying the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and HM Treasury on a support package to help weather the impact of coronavirus.

On Sunday 5 July, the UK Government announced a£1.57 billion investment package to protect the nation’s world-class cultural, arts and heritage institutions. This is a welcome relief, after a period of uncertainty for our future.

A blue sky over the pointed roof of a timber structure theatre.

After a period of closure due to coronavirus, where all performances, tours and events have been cancelled, we welcome the investment from the Government to the arts, culture and heritage sector. Photographer: John Wildgoose.

Neil Constable, our CEO, said:

“We at Shakespeare’s Globe welcome this significant investment from the Government in our world-leading theatres and cultural institutions. As an independent charity, the Globe needs support throughout this difficult time and will now have the opportunity to plan to reopen fully by early 2021. We will of course be taking opportunities, if social distancing allows, to reopen earlier, and until then this investment allows us to offer our world-class performances and education online for audiences and students across the world, before safely bringing our staff, freelancers, volunteers and visitors alike together in our wonderful iconic theatres.”

“The investment from the Government allows us to continue with our online offer for audiences across the world, before safely bringing our staff, freelancers, volunteers and visitors alike together in our wonderful iconic theatres”
— Neil Constable

A woman sits in the lower gallery of a circular timber theatre, which lays empty.

Deborah McGhee, Head of Building Operations here at the Globe, has been custodian of our theatres whilst we have remained closed due to coronavirus. Photographer: Joanna Vestey.

Our Artistic Director, Michelle Terry, reflects on the last few months:

“This is unbelievably wonderful news for the organisations, institutions, and individuals that contribute tirelessly and passionately to the artistic and cultural life of our country. Art and artists are at the heart of an ecosystem that is inextricably linked to the communities from which they are born, in which they live, and whom they serve; theatre, museums, music venues, are a conduit between the artists and the audience.

Neil Constable, Patrick Spottiswoode and Michelle Terry in the Globe Theatre

Neil Constable, Patrick Spottiswoode and Michelle Terry in the Globe Theatre earlier this March when we announced our closure.

“This period of profound reflection has given us all the opportunity to reconsider and recalibrate who we are and why we are, and find ways of articulating not just the economic value, but the social, civic value that we can contribute to the health, economic, ecologic, sociological and psychological complexities we are all facing. The idea that all of this hard work and resilience and sheer tenacity will be rewarded with financial support is testament to the importance of the conversation, consolation and congregation that the arts provide. We have held the government to account, and now they must hold us to account as we prove to them and to the public that this investment is worth every penny as we all reimagine the contribution that we will make as a force for positivity, active hope and progressive change. The trajectory of loss that we have seen over the past days and weeks may now be stemmed by this incredibly welcome news as we all continue to navigate our way down the path least travelled and rebuild a better, bolder and braver new world.

“This is wonderful news for all who contribute tirelessly and passionately to the artistic and cultural life of our country. Art and artists are at the heart of our ecosystem”
— Michelle Terry

The candlelit interior of an indoor playhouse, with dark wooden panelling and a golden glow.

We’ll continue to navigate our way down the path least travelled and rebuild a better, bolder and braver new world. Photographer: Johan Persson.

“Reopening will allow us to re-engage with hundreds of thousands of our audiences and students – from preschool to postgraduate and professors”
— Patrick Spottiswoode

Patrick Spottiswoode, our Director of Globe Education, looks to the future:

“The education department at the Globe is unique in being the largest of any theatre organisation in the UK, providing storytelling, classes and courses sharing in Shakespeare’s extraordinary works. Reopening will allow us to re-engage with hundreds of thousands of our audiences and students – from preschool to postgraduate and professors. We delight in sharing the unique discoveries we are making at the Globe about Shakespeare’s plays and practice, and the continuance of this is important and timely as ever.”

FINIS.