Woolwich Works has been awarded just short of £1 million as it joins nearly a dozen other south east London arts venues and organisations in receiving 'lifeline' Government funding.

One week after the first round of the Cultural Recovery Fund, the government's £1.6 billion commitment to arts venues, round two of funding has been announced.

Eleven organisations based in south east London have been chosen to receive anywhere up to £1 million in critical funds.

The money will help performances to restart, assist venues to plan for reopening, protect jobs and create freelance opportunities, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.

But in a "strong vote of confidence in the visionary plans", the Government's DCMS has awarded the Woolwich Works project with £984,000.

The chair of the project said they were "delighted" with the funding, the third highest of any organisation in the country.

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Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick, the chair of the Woolwich Creative District Trust, said:"The funding that we have received will not only safeguard the Trust’s future as we continue to adapt to working in a post-Covid world, but also enable us to build an organisation and venue that are equipped to take a leading role in enabling live performance to thrive again."

Woolwich Works is a £31.6 million restoration restoration of industrial buildings into a new cultural hub on the Royal Arsenal site.

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The multi-million pound project by Greenwich Council aims to be "the capital's next landmark cultural destination", transforming a 15,000sqm complex in south east London into theatres, dance studios and places to eat.

The 'brand new arts hub', housed in the historic Royal Arsenal buildings, will be "throwing our doors open in Spring 2021" and will also house a number of other arts organsiations.

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Dr Valerie explained that since the onset of Covid-19, organisers have been working tirelessly to both navigate the challenges of the pandemic, and to "increase our ambitions to make the greatest possible contribution to the recovery of both our community and the wider cultural sector in the aftermath of this unprecedented crisis."

"We are delighted that the Arts Council and DCMS have chosen to place such a strong vote of confidence in the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s visionary plans for Woolwich Works and our belief in the power of using culture and creativity to help build a stronger and engaged community."

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Ten other organisations have also received funding, including £233,500 for Bexley Council's museums, £213,000 for Bromley Youth Music Trust, nearly £200k for Greenwich Dance Agency and just over £50k for Elham Little Theatre.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "As a nation, it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounceback post-Covid."