Hordern Ciani Ltd in Wells has received a grant of £34,406 from the government's £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Hordern Ciani Ltd in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced yesterday (April 2).

Hordern Ciani has been trading for six years as a professional theatre company and in that time they have produced more than 25 shows.

As well as creating rep seasons in both Swanage and Leatherhead, Surrey, they were the team behind The Railway Children at Cedars Hall in 2019 which formed part of the Wells Theatre Festival.

This grant from the Culture Recovery Fund will be specifically supporting a project development incorporating British Sign Language into a new piece of musical theatre for all the family, with performances due to take place this year in London, Swanage and nationally on tour.

Wells local Teresa Barlow, who is a director of the company said: "We are full of relief and gratitude for this support from Arts Council England and the DCMS. This is tremendously exciting news."

More than £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made yesterday will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery.

After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Producer of Hordern Ciani Ltd, Katherine Mount, said: "We are full of relief and gratitude for this support from Arts Council England and the DCMS.

"Off the back of a sad year which saw all of our productions put on hold, and during which we have been unable to provide for the communities that mean so much to us and who have welcomed our shows and our company with open arms, this is tremendously exciting news.

"We are now at action stations preparing to develop a wonderful new product along with a brilliant team of actors and creatives who all so deserve to get back to work, and planning our return to Swanage and numerous other venues this summer and beyond."