The Charterhouse, the seven-acre historic site and almshouse in Clerkenwell, has been awarded £105,000 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future, the Culture Secretary has announced today.

The Charterhouse is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. £257 million of investment has been announced as part of the very first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England.

The Charterhouse dates back to 1348, and since then has been a Carthusian monastery, a grand Tudor mansion, a school for boys, and an almshouse which it remains to this day. This extraordinary site is home to over 40 older men and women and their health and wellbeing are our priority. We have therefore been closed to the public since March, which has meant vital income from visits, events, tours and venue hire has halted since then.  Our funding award from the Culture Recovery Fund will allow us to create and develop exciting new projects which enable us to engage with the public in new ways in 2021, and to put in place the practical and logistical changes necessary to be able to welcome the public through our doors once more.

Ann Kenrick, Master of the Charterhouse, said:

“We are delighted and extremely grateful to have been amongst those cultural sites awarded with funding to help us proactively plan and implement our future engagement with the public.  We look forward to devising new ways of sharing our heritage, reaching new audiences, and ultimately being able to open our doors once more.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery.

“These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country. This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”

Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said:

“Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences. Further funding is still to be announced and we are working hard to support our sector during these challenging times.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The Charterhouse, set deep within stone walls in the heart of Clerkenwell, is a remarkable assembly of historic buildings dating from the 14th century.  Over the years it has been a monastery, a grand Tudor mansion, a school and, as it has remained for over 400 years, an almshouse. In 2017 parts of the Charterhouse opened to the public for the first time in its 660 year history, revealing the great story of this unique seven acre site at the heart of London, and thereby creating income for the Charterhouse’s trading arm Carthusia Ltd which in turn preserves the site’s heritage and its mission to share it with the public and generations to come. To find out more about the Charterhouse, its museum, tours, venue hire and learning centre, and newly re-opened and refurbished Great Chamber, please visit www.thecharterhouse.org

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of several bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19