Arts and cultural groups in Rutland have received a £634,100 bail-out from the government.

Among them, the Stamford Shakespeare company, who perform at Tolethorpe Hall in Rutland, will receive a £240,000 lifeline from the government today.

The funding comes from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS),, £1.57 Billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The amount awarded to the theatre company matches the amount it has been busily fund-raising for.

Today's recipients are those that applied for grants of under £1 million in the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund.

Locally, the fund will benefit organisations with great cultural significance, including Nevill Holt Opera and Pinders Circus.

Funding Breakdown:

Stamford Shakespeare Company: £240,000

Pinders Circus Limited: £50,000

JRC Entertainments: £50,000

Nevill Holt Opera: £85,000

Rutland County Council: £132,100

Leicestershire County Council: £77,000

Rutland and Melton MP, Alicia Kearns, said: " In these extraordinary times it is only right that the Government provides extraordinary support for those industries worst-hit by the pandemic to project jobs and create new opportunities."

"I am simply delighted that six fantastic local organisations have received significant cash boosts which will preserve our local cultural beacons, save jobs and help the sector's recovery."

" Having worked on this package as Parliamentary Private Secretary to DCMS, I am thrilled that this unprecedented investment will be of such benefit to us in Rutland and Melton."

The £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund builds on unprecedented support from the Government's for the culture sectors. This includes the Job Retention Scheme; a years' business rates holiday for leisure businesses and the Bounce Back Loans scheme.

This is in addition to £104 million of emergency funding already distributed by Arts Council England to organisations and individuals, and £96 million currently available to support the arts and freelancers, through programmes like National Lottery Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice.