Petworth Festival welcomes arts crisis funding support

He said he hoped the whole crisis might help change government attitudes to a neglected industry.

At the weekend, the government unveiled a £1.57bn support package to help protect the futures of UK theatres, galleries, museums and other cultural venues. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the aim was to preserve the "crown jewels" in the UK's arts sector as well as local venues.

The Petworth Festival was one of the scores of festivals wiped out by the coronavirus crisis.

It was due to open next week (July 14-August 1) but was cancelled in the depths of the crisis back in March.

“What I would say, just from reading the comments, is that I am pleased that this money is at the upper end of what people in the industry were expecting,” Stewart said.

“We have not seen the details, but it is great that the need has been recognised. It is great that the Chancellor has see fit to follow what has been done in other countries as well. Our country has got one of the largest arts sectors going.

“But I have been quite surprised throughout the gradual loosening of lockdown just how little reference has been made to the cultural industry. It is one of the most vibrant sectors in the whole of the economy.

“But I am afraid we continue what has been seen through the generations. I remember when they first introduced the idea of a Culture Secretary, culture was seen as being all about tourism and bringing people into the country. There has always been a certain blindness to the fact that it is a really important sector to everyone and something that the whole country should be celebrating. There has been a blockage at government level. Career politicians are not necessarily great attenders of the theatre or dance.”

Stewart stresses that it remains to be seen what the real fall-out of the crisis on the arts will be: “But certainly until this announcement it was looking absolutely ghastly for the theatre sector. Theatre was looking as if it was going to be in a really desperate situation. I know the arts are maybe a long way down the list of what is going to helped, but this should certainly help.”

Later this summer, the Petworth Festival is hoping to announce a fortnight’s autumn festival, mixing the traditional autumn literary festival with highlights from what would have been the summer festival.

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