Soho and St Paul’s both benefit from multi-million pound culture bailout

Legendary jazz club Ronnie Scott’s and St Paul’s Cathedral are among the historic landmarks sharing the latest multi-million pound culture bailout.

Funding for 162 heritage sites will allow them to survive the latest lockdown and the long-term effects of social distancing.

Among the venues getting money from the Culture Recovery Fund are Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, and Durham Cathedral which normally attracts thousands of visitors who saw it stand in as a filming location for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

Ronnie Scotts, which first opened its doors in 1959 and has hosted names from Miles Davis to Van Morrison, will get £1,272,631 to work on streaming shows.

St Paul’s, which normally relies on visitors for 90% of its income, will get a grant of £2,125,000. 

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “These grants will  help the places that have shaped our skylines for hundreds of years and that continue to define culture in our towns and cities."

He said the money would “save jobs” and ensure historic sites “can bounce back strongly”.

Some of London’s live music venues from The Social and Omeara to the 02 will receive grants to help them survive closure.

Among the capital’s institutions to have already received money are cultural landmarks from The Old Vic to the Design Museum.