Venues across Darlington have benefited from £1.68 million to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on their ability to open and to ensure that they will recover as the restrictions are eased.
Darlington Hippodrome
Darlington’s Hippodrome has received almost £1.5 million through the Cultural Recovery Fund to protect it during the extended period of closure. This funding was allocated in two tranches – the first coming in Autumn 2020 and the second coming in April 2021.
This grant will help the Hippodrome offset losses from cancelled productions, protect jobs, and secure the long-term future of the theatre, as well as supporting the Hippodrome’s programme of socially-distanced events and activities including backstage tours, classes in drama, dance and art for young people and adults, and classic cinema screenings.
Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway have been given £35,000 from the culture recovery fund to help prepare them for the bi-centennial celebrations of the railway in 2025. The group intend to use this money to help prepare the line for 2025 and to deliver a brighter future for the railway.
Forum Music Centre
Darlington’s Forum Music Centre has received over £150,000 from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to ensure that it can continue to operate after the pandemic has ended. This fund will support the centre to recover from the pandemic and revive live music, support livelihoods and bring joy to many in Darlington.
Pimms and Needles
In April 2021, the Pimms and Needles group was awarded £12,354 to help them past the pandemic. The non-profit group has been having meetings for women across Darlington every month pre-covid and this funding has ensured that they continue this into the future.
A1 Steam Locomotive trust
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust received £11,100 in the Second Tranche of funding in the Culture Recovery Fund. The funding that the trust received will go towards offsetting the trust’s loss of income due to the extended period of closures. Due to the pandemic, the trust has been unable to host the normal number of people at its open days as a result of the social distancing guidance.