TWO Theatres and a gallery will benefit from a share of £27.5 million as part of a vital financial boost for Welsh Arts and Culture from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Theatr Colwyn and Oriel Colwyn will receive a share of the funding, to be distributed by Arts Council of Wales on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The combined total of the award for the Conwy County Borough Council venues will be £80,000.

This will be used for capital funding projects and to help them survive the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sarah Ecob, general manager of Venue Cymru, Theatr Colwyn and Oriel Colwyn, said: "The challenge faced by cultural organisations, artists and creative businesses in the wake of Covid-19 is unprecedented, and we are very grateful to DCMS and Arts Council of Wales for providing this vital support at a critical point.

“The funding will be used for a range of capital projects to continue our delivery of arts and culture to our communities in an environment that has changed since the outbreak of the pandemic.

"Like many other venues, we have been forced to rethink and reshape what we offer.

"Online and streamed content could become part of what our audience expect, and social distancing may well be with us for a long time.

"This funding will allow us to adapt to changes that have resulted from the pandemic”

Cllr Sam Rowlands, Leader of Conwy County Borough Council, said: "Venue Cymru and Theatr Colwyn are vitally important to the cultural economy of Conwy and North Wales. This grant will enable both venues to continue to play a key role in the county’s recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

"Venue Cymru alone attracts over half a million visitors each year, generating £33.5 million for the wider local economy.

"This grant is crucial so as we can continue to generate and build on those figures”

Last week was the first tranche of funding to organisations applying for grants of under £1 million from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Millions more will be awarded in coming weeks.

Oliver Dowden, culture secretary, 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.”