The Make the Sunshine community interest company from Shepton Mallet has welcomed the announcement yesterday (July 6) from the government that it is putting £1.57 billion of funding into the arts.

The arts organisation is hoping to return to some form of live performances in the autumn, and is hoping that the funding announced today will help secure the future of the arts in general.

In the announcement from the government, thousands of organisations across a range of sectors including the performing arts and theatres, heritage, historic palaces, museums, galleries, live music and independent cinema will be able to access emergency grants and loans.

Louise Lappin-Cook, who runs Make the Sunshine, told Shepton Mallet Nub News: "Government support for the arts sector announced yesterday is extremely welcome and will provide a vital lifeline to many struggling arts organisations.

"Covid-19 has put national and regional venues and artists under such an enormous amount of strain financially.

"Many theatres have been announcing they are just weeks away from closing, and some, such as Southampton's Nuffield Theatre, have tragically already announced they have gone into administration.

"The £1.57 billion support package will hopefully ensure that our arts and cultural organisations are supported, in addition to Arts Council Emergency Funding.

"The arts and culture industry contributes some £10.8 billion a year to the UK's economy. This is an industry we cannot afford to lose - not just in financial terms but in terms of quality of life in our cities, towns and local communities.

"The next critical piece of information will be how the funding is devolved to ensure it reaches not just the huge cultural institutions and venues that so desperately need help after more than 100 days of closed doors, but also grassroots organisations and those involved in outreach, arts education, social prescribing, local dance and drama schools - the arts initiatives that keep communities alive.

"It will also be critical to see how these funds can support the network of highly skilled freelancers that make up 72 per cent of the theatre industry's workforce - workers that have fallen outside the Governments furlough scheme."

In terms of a return to normal for theatres and live venues, Louise said there are still some big questions.

"Government guidance suggests that in terms of a timeline, outdoor work can potentially be programmed from August/September and socially distanced performances are a possibility from autumn," she said.

"The key questions are around how performances can be socially distanced and still make economic sense and also issues around singing and projection.

"Staging, rehearsing and touring has such big costs attached to it that for many venues and companies, without financial assistance and a clear timeline, socially-distanced performances just don't add up.

"Hopefully this package will allow both artists and venues the opportunity to plan in more detail for a new normal and accommodate some of these risks.

"The key test for regional and national theatres will be to see if panto season can be up and running - as for many theatres this brings in a large percentage of their annual income."

In terms of Make the Sunshine, like lots of organisations they have been busy adapting their programme to be accessed online and are running a creative programme connecting care homes and primary schools through building creative pen-friends between organisations.

Louise said: "We desperately miss live performance and our work in schools and the community.

"We are exploring some outdoor alternatives and are hoping to return to some form of programming of live work in the autumn."

Decisions on awards will be made by the government working alongside expert independent figures from the sector including the Arts Council England and other specialist bodies such as Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.

Repayable finance will be issued on terms tailored for cultural institutions to ensure they are affordable. Further details will be set out when the scheme opens for applications in the coming weeks.

Oliver Dowden, Culture Secretary, said: "Our arts and culture are the soul of our nation.

"They make our country great and are the lynchpin of our world-beating and fast growing creative industries.

"I understand the grave challenges the arts face and we must protect and preserve all we can for future generations.

"Today we are announcing a huge support package of immediate funding to tackle the funding crisis they face.

"I said we would not let the arts down, and this massive investment shows our level of commitment."