Buxton Opera House and town's museum awarded total of £47,500 in lockdown funding

Cultural organisations in Buxton and beyond have received emergency funding to keep them going amid the coronavirus lockdown as part of a £1million award to Derbyshire.

The Arts Council has invested £816.881 in 36 organisations and £211,254 in 93 individual artists in the county.

Among the recipients are Buxton Opera House, which has been awarded £25,000; Buxton Museum, £22,500, Bakewell & District Historical Society, £22,000; Artizani Theatre in Little Hayfield, £26,326 and Babbling Vagabonds theatre company in Bakewell, £17,000.

Buxton Museum will use the funding to commission artists to develop work in response to the pandemic.

The award will help the museum to develop a memory of the coronavirus pandemic, made by local people.

In addition, the money will support further development of the Wonders of the Peak and Depicting Derbyshire websites. These sites link the museum’s artefacts back to Derbyshire’s landscape and include articles about the Peak District written by people who live and work there, and artworks made by travellers who have passed through it.

Coun Barry Lewis, leader of Derbyshire County Council which runs the museum, said: “This funding is extremely welcome and I hope it will enable us to attract more visitors to the museum and the county when it’s safe to do so and we’re fully back open for business.”

Deaf-initely Women, which is run by D/deaf and hard of hearing women for those in similar situations across the county, has been awarded £37,038 for an online project offering workshops on painting, writing and photography.

Teresa Waldron, managing director at Amber Valley based Deaf-initely Women who is deafblind, said “Many D/deaf women have been left stranded in not being able to communicate with other deaf women and learn new things about art.”

Peter Knott, area drector for Arts Council, said: “Thanks to the government and National Lottery players we’re able to give vital financial support to the many people and organisations that make up our vibrant cultural sector, for whom Covid-19 has dealt a devastating blow. It is crucial to offer support in these difficult times.”