A MUSIC studio in Darlington has been awarded £106,019 as part of the Governments £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund.

The Forum Music studios in Darlington has had a difficult lockdown like many venue's across the country, but the new fund will help allow performances to restart and venue's to plan for reopening, as well as protect staff jobs.

Allison McKay, Managing Director of The Forum Music Centre, said: "It's absolutely fantastic and it's more so just a real pat on the back and helps us feel recognised for what we do and seen as a significant cultural facility in Darlington which is really good.

"The money will help us open again safely with all the safety measures in place. We recognise that the public still need culture and music in their lives.

"It will enable us to schedule gigs and events throughout the next six months and we will use it to subsides the events so that we can still put on quality events and pay the artists and bands.

"That is really important because these artists and bands are self employed and everything has just dried up for them. With everything that's what I'm most excited about.

"It will also help us secure all our staff and team who have put in many man years of hard work in to get the Forum to the great establishment that it is and not see it all fall away through Covid."

She added: "Since reopening it has definitely been more and more challenging with the amount of positive tests that have come back and the knock on effect of that is going to ground us down, as although we're not in lockdown, the vast majority of people will be in self-isolation.

"But that doesn't stop us charging ahead with what we do and as long as the bands are fit and healthy to perform we will get them on the stage and open our doors to anyone who feels safe and well enough to come."

Darlington's Member of Parliament Peter Gibson said: "Following on from the announcement last week regarding funding being awarded to The A1 Locomotive Trust, I’m delighted to see another important part of Darlington’s cultural community receive funding from the Government to help them to tackle the impact of the pandemic.

“Having spoken to Allison I know the grant of £106,019 was an absolute lifeline to The Forum and it will help them to continue to provide their fantastic facilities and engagement in our community.”

She added: "There was as a time not that long ago where grass roots venues weren't recognised in the arts and cultural world and if this happened a few years ago we wouldn't have had a look in.

"But the Music Venue Trust has spent many hours helping to get government to recognise grassroots music venues and the importance they play in the national music industry."