Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket to receive £88,950 in funding from Arts Council

A Stowmarket museum has been chosen to receive thousands of pounds in emergency funding to help it cope with the impact of Covid-19.

The Museum of East Anglian Life, in Iliffe Way, is to receive £88,950 from a £2.9million investment by the Arts Council, which will also help 19 other National Portfolio Organisations in the East and South East of England stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis.

This fund is part of the Arts Council's £160million emergency response package, which so far has seen £69million shared out between almost 10,000 individuals and independent organisations since March.

Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, said: “Culture, creativity and the arts are a fundamental part of our country’s identity – they bring joy, fulfilment and shared experience and help boost people’s health and wellbeing. Our National Portfolio Organisations play a crucial role in providing opportunities for people across England to enjoy culture, and this funding will ensure that they are able to continue their work through the summer."

The remaining budget from the emergency programme will be used to complement the Government's recently announced £1.57billion rescue package.

Hedley Swain, area director for the South East, said: “Our priority has always been to support as many individuals and organisations as we can through this difficult time – something we have only been able to do thanks to National Lottery players and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport .Today’s funding will provide essential financial relief for National Portfolio Organisations."