Mansfield Palace Theatre and Mansfield Museum say they are thrilled to be part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

It was revealed on Monday that they have been awarded £123,982, “which allows us to continue to be #HereForCulture in Mansfield and the surrounding areas”.

The venues added: “Many thanks to DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and Arts Council England, we are very grateful for your support.”

Mansfield Ben Bradley MP welcomed the money to help Mansfield’s theatre and museum, saying: “It is great news that Mansfield District Council will receive a share of this money. Covid-19 has had such a dramatic impact on the arts, so I am really grateful the Government have made this money available.

“The Palace Theatre and our award winning museum are absolutely vital for our area, and are key local cultural icons that we absolutely must preserve for the future. This money will have a really positive impact on these venues and on Mansfield.”

The Mayor of Mansfield, Andy Abrahams, said: “I am so pleased that the work of the Palace Theatre and Mansfield Museum has been recognised with this important grant from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund.

“This will allow the town’s venues to continue their community programmes whilst adhering to Covid-19 restrictions. The theatre and museum are great assets for the town and I’m sure the people of Mansfield and the surrounding areas will support the activities on offer in the near future.”

Sian Booth, cultural services manager, added: “This grant will help the theatre and museum recover safely and come back stronger than before. Since March we’ve continued to bring culture, heritage and creativity to local people in the face of challenging circumstances.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, but this funding represents the start of a slow, safe, phased reawakening of our theatre and museum. Our plan includes reviewing our systems and operations, becoming digital-ready and delivering activities with our communities so that the creative lives of local people can thrive in our uncertain landscape.”