Aerospace Bristol to receive £358,927 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

• Aerospace Bristol is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund
• This award will help Aerospace Bristol as it prepares to welcome visitors back to the museum to step aboard Concorde and enjoy a family day out together
• Aerospace Bristol is set to reopen on Wednesday 19 May, subject to the Government roadmap out of lockdown

Aerospace Bristol in Filton has received a grant of £358,927 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. The grant will help the popular family visitor attraction to recover and reopen.

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Aerospace Bristol in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

Aerospace Bristol, which is operated by registered charity Bristol Aero Collection Trust, is set to reopen from 19 May, subject to the easing of lockdown restrictions, having been able to open for just three months in the last year.

The museum gives visitors the chance to step aboard the last Concorde every to fly and discover Bristol-built aeroplanes, helicopters, engines, space technology and more, as they embark upon an interactive journey through more than a century of aerospace achievements.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:

“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced. Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead."

Lloyd Burnell, Executive Director Aerospace Bristol, said:

“We’re absolutely delighted and enormously grateful to have received this vital funding from the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. After an extremely challenging year, we’re looking ahead to reopening Aerospace Bristol with renewed optimism and anticipating a very busy summer, as families and friends look to enjoy days out together once again.

If the easing of lockdown restrictions is able to proceed as planned, we will reopen Aerospace Bristol on 19 May. The museum is fully prepared to operate as a covidsafe environment, while still providing a fun family day out featuring interactive exhibits, a children’s trail, a café, outdoor play and seating area, and of course, the opportunity to step aboard Concorde."

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

“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to reopen theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work. We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals
and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.